A Godfather's Bond
by arwenraven
Summary: Ancient family magic was used to create a bond between Sirius Black and his godson Harry Potter. When Harry's pain and fear break through the magic surrounding Azkaban Sirius knows what he must do to help his young godson. Child Harry fic at beginning, father/son relationship.
1. Prologue

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. For those reading Island of Hope I haven't abandoned it, don't worry, I'm just working on a few other things and it will still be updated. Now that's out of the way...

**A Godfather's Bond**

**Prologue**

Harry bit back a cry. He had just brought his school report home which said he had turned the teacher's hair blue and to say Uncle Vernon was angry would be an understatement. The moment he had read that sentence in the report he had let out a cry of rage and charged forward. What had followed had been one of his worst beatings.

Now he lay in his cupboard, curled up in a tiny ball, trying to alleviate the pain of dozens of bruises and at least one broken bone, trying desperately not to cry. If he started and his uncle heard him the beating he had already received would seem like a warm up in comparison. Pain flared up in his wrist as he shifted position and he couldn't help the hiss of pain the escaped his lips. Instantly he heard Uncle Vernon yell from the sitting room. "Shut up freak, if I hear another noise..." He didn't need to finish the sentence, Harry knew what would happen, it had happened before and it would happen again unless he could manage to keep control.

Gradually the rest of the household went to bed and once he had heard his uncle's heavy trend go up the stairs, he could finally allow the soft tears to slip down his face. It was at times like this he wished more than anything that somebody, anybody would come to take him away. Take him from the beatings and the chores, from the punishments and the hate. He knew it would never happen, he was a freak and he had been stuck with his decent, hardworking relatives. He knew he deserved every beating he got and he supposed that nobody else would ever want him, the Dursleys certainly didn't.

But it didn't stop him from dreaming, stop him from dreaming that one day somebody would come, somebody who would care for him, look after him, take him away from the beatings and punishments. It was just a dream but that didn't stop him hoping, stop him begging to whatever gods might be listening that tomorrow would be the day somebody would come.

He had been making too much noise. Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs and the door to his cupboard was yanked open, the large figure of his uncle filling the doorway. "Right, I warned you freak." Harry couldn't do anything more than whimper as his uncle dragged the six year old out of his cupboard by the throat and proceeded to beat him.

Pain lanced through him as already bruised skin was assaulted a second time that day and agony flared through him as his broken wrist protested. He could taste blood in his mouth. Breathing heavily he uncle threw him back in his cupboard, locking the bolt as soon as the door closed. Harry landed hard, straight on his wrist. Agony coursed through him and it was all he could do to clench his teeth to prevent the scream. Tears slipped down his face, an unstoppable river. Frantically he shifted so his wrist was no longer trapped under the rest of his, admittedly light, body.

It didn't make much difference. Agony still flowed through him and driven past what his six year body could endure he lashed out. All his pain, anger, fear, hope bundled together and thrown out with one last desperate plea, come, please, anybody just come.

* * *

Azkaban was cold and dark, haunted by the foulest creatures known to man and echoing to the cries of the mad and tormented. In the midst of the screams and despair, a gaunt man, his handsome features marred by five years of pain and despair lay in his filthy cell. I'm innocent, I'm innocent, I'm innocent, I'm innocent. The mantra beat round his head. It was the only reason he could stay sane, stay aware, fend off madness. They couldn't take it from him, couldn't make him forget.

And the few hours of early nightfall were a blessing. The dementors withdrew at night. They were not needed. The nightmares were enough to strike fear in the heart of every inmate and help drive them to madness. But for Sirius Black the few dementor free hours before he had to sleep were a gift. By using his animagus form he could stave them off slightly in the day and these few hours he was able to think of positive things, remember a few of the good times and check on Harry.

It was a nightly ritual. He would remember the marauders, check on Harry and then remember Harry as a baby before going to sleep. It helped with the nightmares but didn't banish them completely. This night was no different, after enjoying the memories of his Hogwarts days, pranks, full moons, animagus training, he prepared to check on Harry.

Unknown to everyone apart from himself, Lily and James, when he had become godfather they had evoked the old family magics to enforce this. It was a second line of protection and Sirius had been and was still utterly devoted to his young godson. The magic they had used had created a bond between them. It meant that he was able to locate Harry, no matter where he was and even through a fidelus, but it was the second part he found most useful, it enabled him to feel Harry's emotions through the bond, see if he was in pain or happy and that was what he used to try to check on his godson.

But every night it came up blank. He knew Harry was alive, if he had died the bond would have broken and he could still feel the pulse of magic connecting him to his godson. But when he tried to feel his emotions, something that should work, regardless of distance, nothing. He hoped it was because Harry was happy and his happiness couldn't pass through the aura of misery that shrouded Azkaban like mist. But he couldn't stop the nagging doubts that plagued him, what if he wasn't and his sadness was just getting lost in his own pain and the fear of Azkaban.

Sighing he left the connection and dived straight into the memories he had of Harry's childhood. Suddenly the magic prickled. He sat up instantly, he had felt something from the bond, something that had not happened in five years, five long years. Worry pulsed through him, was the magic breaking, was something wrong?

It flared again and he felt relief sweep through him. The bond was not breaking, Harry was still alive and the feelings were coming through the emotion side of the bond. Something was breaking through whatever had held the emotions back. He was not prepared for when it hit.

Fear. Pain. Loneliness. Terror. They broke through him like a wave and left him gasping from their strength. Seconds later rage coursed through him. Harry was hurt, his puppy was being hurt and there was nothing he could do. At that moment he knew what he had to do. He would escape, go to Harry. He couldn't stay here when Harry was hurting. Lily and James had appointed him godfather and trusted him to care for Harry when they could not and he had failed them. He wouldn't fail them again.

He would get no sleep that night. He had to work out a way to escape the one place nobody had every escaped. But he would do it, for Harry, for his friends. He had one advantage, only two other people knew he was an animagus and neither were in any position to tell.

* * *

Hello dear readers, and welcome to this story, hope you all enjoy it and for your information, updates will occur roughly weekly, although early chapters may go up faster.

Enjoy and please review! :)

PS One of my dear readers was kind enough to point out I had made a mistake with the timescale, so I have just adjusted the number of years Sirius has been in Azkaban. Also in this Harry is six, nearly seven. It is the June before his seventh birthday.


	2. Chapter 1

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 1**

The dementors brought one meal a day, every evening just before they withdrew, when it was already dusk outside. Sirius knew he would only have one attempt. If he was caught he would almost certainly face the Kiss but he had to try. He couldn't leave Harry there when he was still hurting, when he needed him.

The plan was clear, he would transform and when they came to give him his meal he would slip past them as Padfoot, that would confuse them, he had worked out they couldn't really sense animals emotions. Once he was past them he would move around the prison, staying in the shadows until he could find an exit. He knew there were Aurors stationed at the gates but he would try to avoid them. Although his form was a grim and people might assume he was one he didn't want an Auror to see him and then put the pieces together. If they worked out he was an animagus or worse, went to Dumbledore or Remus and asked he would lose his main disguise. He was safest if nobody knew of his second identity. Once he was out of the prison he would swim to the mainland. He knew Azkaban was an island and the boat trip wasn't long. You could just about see the mainland from the island. All he would have to do was swim south, as Padfoot he should be able to do it, although it would take all night.

The minutes ticked by and his tension mounted. He was going to attempt the impossible. Nobody had ever broken out of Azkaban before and survived, there was a reason it was used to house some of the darkest wizards. But he had to, he would. Failure simply wasn't an option he could even consider. The four of them had done the impossible before, no school age wizard should have been able to become animagi but the Marauders had managed to. He was alone now but he would do the impossible too. He was going to escape Azkaban.

He waited as Padfoot. Dementors passed but all he felt was a coldness as they went past the front of his cell, his mind was firmly fixed on his plan, his aims. It wasn't a happy thought, it was an obsession but they couldn't take that away from him and it cleared his mind, the same way a strong Occlumency shield would.

Gradually the perpetual gloom darkened, dusk was coming closer, closer. Padfoot was ready, he would hunt, hunt for his pup, all he needed now was an opening.

Rattling breaths drew closer, finally stopping. A thin skeletal hand reached out and he heard the groan as the worn metal bolts were pulled back and then the clicking of a lock as it turned slowly. One click, two, three, four, it was a sound he had heard for the last six years, it knew it by heart. There would be twenty three clicks then the door would open.

Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty one. Twenty two. Twenty three.

Old hinges grated against one another as the door slowly swung inwards. A black gap growing, getting wider and wider, it was nearly big enough, he was almost able to squeeze through. He was focussed now. This was his chance and he wouldn't mess it up. The gap was large enough. Without pausing he pushed through it, twisting his body to avoid touching the dementor, which would have given his attempt away. With one movement he was past it and he vanished into the shadows of the hallway. The dementor hadn't noticed, hopefully they would put the lack of emotions down to him dying and nobody would notice until the Aurors came to do their weekly check. It would give him time.

He padded slowly down the hallways, his movements silent, a talent developed after many nocturnal wanderings, heading for the lower levels, the ones with fewer dementors and the ones which opened onto the island itself. A human would have been noticed, particularly with the riot of emotions that would have been seething through their minds but a black dog, all their attention fixed on one goal to the exclusion of everything else, hiding in the deepest shadows that were as dark as its fur was able to slip through unnoticed.

He was nearly down to the ground floor. He knew there was a barred section of the low security wing, he was thin, too thin and he should be able to slip through the bars and out onto the ground. His paws made no sound on the stone as he approached the barred wall. For the first time in six years it was quiet. This wing was calmer, the incessant shrieks and screams didn't haunt this area and for the inmates here, they could at least sleep somewhat peacefully.

Footsteps on the stones behind him made him freeze. A young Auror, obviously a rookie was coming down the corridor, evidently on some form of patrol. He was still in shadow but here they weren't as dark. Mentally he cursed. He was going to be seen. But the Auror hurried past, his attention elsewhere. He relaxed somewhat, preparing for his next move when suddenly the Auror stopped, something alerting his senses.

Slowly the man turned, his fingers reaching for his wand. His face was moving round, any moment now he would see him. Sirius only had a few options, he could stay still and hope but he knew the chances of him being overlooked were slim to none, or he could act as a grim and try to convinced the Auror he was a real one, maybe then he wouldn't connect the pieces. He was out of time. Making a split second decision he strode forward, letting the light reflect off his eyes and silhouette him against the grey stone of the prison wall.

Grims were a figure of myth, of legend but several witches and wizards had been reported to have died because of them. They were ingrained in the folklore and were regarded with so much superstition that anyone, especially wizard-raised were terrified of them. He could use this to his advantage.

The Auror turned fully until he was staring straight at him. Padfoot growled, showing his teeth and he saw the man's eyes widen, wand dropping from suddenly lifeless fingers, his mouth moving silently, his features twisted into an expression of horror. "A Grim," the man mouthed before his eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground in a dead faint.

Sirius let out a mental sigh of relief, but he still had to get out. He loped forward, passing the man when a thought made him freeze. He darted back and picked up the man's wand gently in his jaws. It wouldn't work well for him but it would be able to do basic magic, glamour charms and so on which would allow him to operate in the muggle world without raising eyebrows and when you are on the run, even the most basic of magic would be useful.

He moved silently towards the bars and with a struggle he managed to pull himself through. For the first time in six years his paws touched grass, but he couldn't hang around. He had to get to the mainland before the sun rose, only there would he be somewhat safe. The stolen wand firmly held in his jaws he ran across the grounds, still sticking to the shadows and headed for the landing beach.

His paws touched sand and he quickly ran into the water. The North Sea was cold but he would endure it. He was out of Azkaban he just had to swim, he was past the most dangerous point but he still had a long way to go. Stubbornly he waded out and started swimming. He couldn't see the land in the darkness but he had a plan. Focussing on the magic of the bond he tried to locate Harry, and soon a thin golden thread, only visible to his own eyes appeared in front of him, leading away into the dark. It would take him to the mainland and then to Harry.

He began to swim. _Hold on Harry I'm coming._

* * *

Far away, locked in his cupboard in Surrey, Harry Potter stirred slightly. A feeling of hope washed over him and he smiled slightly, despite the pain from his broken bones and numerous bruises, despite the fact that he had been locked in his cupboard and denied food for the whole day, as a continuation of his punishment.

As he sank back into his dreams a face rose in his mind, kind grey eyes gazing down at him, black hair falling across his face. A voice seemed to murmur from a long way away, "It's alright Harry, you're safe."

* * *

AN And here is the second chapter. Hope you are enjoying this story, the next update will likely be Saturday then they will become weekly. Please review.


	3. Chapter 2

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 2**

Dawn was breaking as a thin black dog staggered out of the harsh waves of the North Sea onto a desolate shingle beach. Shaking the water tiredly out of its coat it trudged up the beach, heading for the forest, a strange stick still clamped in its jaws. Once it reached the shadows of the forest it vanished with a pop only to be replaced by a gaunt man, his face sunken but an expression of joy on his features.

He removed the stick from his teeth and waved it over himself twice, and a large proportion of the filth and grime covering him was swept away, revealing pasty white skin, although there was still a thin layer of dirt. Another few waves and the rags he wore were turned into a plain T-shirt and a pair of trousers. These too were grimy but they were a far sight better than the rags he had been wearing a few seconds ago. He surveyed himself critically for a few moments, then "Good enough," he muttered. He placed the stick into a pocket then glancing around, as if checking the coast was clear he transformed once more and a large, though admittedly cleaner black dog ambled off, tiredly into the darkness of the forest.

* * *

Sirius was tired but at the same time he was filled with elation. He had made it, he had escaped Azkaban, he was free and although he would be looking over his shoulder for the Ministry for the rest of his life probably, he would finally be able to do his duty as a godfather and save his godson. He knew it was likely that it would take several days for him to reach wherever Harry was but he could put the time he was travelling to good use.

As much as he wanted to he couldn't just turn up at where Harry was living and take him away. He was an escaped convict on the run and before he took Harry and took him to safety he needed somewhere to go, somewhere to hide, but also somewhere Harry could have a childhood and he needed to do all this without getting caught.

However before he travelled much further he would need to sleep before he collapsed. Once he had rested he would be able to plan and work out what he would do next. He travelled a little further and found a small cave. It wasn't luxurious by any stretch of the imagination but compared to the horrors of Azkaban it was a paradise. No dementors hovering over you, no insane screaming of other inmates surrounding you day and night. His paws carried him deep into the cave and he sank down on the cool stone floor. He was asleep within seconds.

The sun was setting when he finally awoke and slowly he pulled himself up and headed out of the cave. He realised it would probably be safest to travel at night anyway. Nobody would notice a black dog amongst the shadows and he didn't need light to guide him. He reached out again and soon the golden thread shimmered back into view. He began to lope steadily, following it forward. He was hungry but he discarded the feeling, he had been hungry almost constantly in Azkaban and he wasn't going to stop to hunt. He would drink when he crossed running water, and maybe eat when he reached a town or farm, somewhere he could get food without being delayed.

As he continued to run throughout the night his thoughts turned to what he would do once he had Harry. He wasn't about to charge into something without a plan. It had worked _extremely _well last time and he was determined he would not make the same sort of mistakes again. He knew he would have plenty of time to plan as he ran. It was unlikely Harry was in Scotland and it would probably take him several days to reach him, so he would have plenty of time to plan.

The first thing that came to him was that he would need to live in the muggle world. It would be too easy to get caught in the Wizarding World, glamours and any methods they used to hide themselves could be countered by most Aurors, not to mention they would be looking for him. In the muggle world he would be much safer, Harry as well. The other thing he quickly realised was that he couldn't stay in Britain whilst Harry grew, too many people knew him here, even when he was disguised the chances of meeting someone accidentally and being discovered were extremely high, a place where nobody knew Sirius Black would be a lot easier. Also in a foreign country, if he got caught he wouldn't be returned to Britain by the magical government, magical governments didn't have extradition treaties and no muggle jail would be able to hold him and he had a better chance of proving his innocence.

The other things he needed were money, clothing and a home. Muggle money and documents would be easy enough. He could forge all the necessary documents easily with magic and as most Muggle money was on paper it would be easy enough to copy once he got hold of a single note or more. The gemino charm created a perfect copy of an object, usually used to copy books but it would work on paper money as well, not to mention it was a simple charm once you knew it and the wand he had stolen, although it wasn't working well would do enough for that. Once he had some money he could deal with the clothing and possession aspect but it would be more difficult to get a home.

There were many Black properties scattered around Britain however none of them would do him any good. The Ministry would have frozen his assets and they would be watching his properties, it was fairly likely he would run to them so using them would be out of the question, not to mention the Malfoy's could probably get in, through Narcissa.

There was a holiday home in France that had belonged to his 'blood traitor' uncle and he was fairly certain that the Ministry didn't know about it, not to mention it was on foreign soil so it would be hard for Aurors to go there without approval. It wouldn't be practical in the long run, they would probably find out about it eventually, however it could be used as a base whilst he got a proper house. He was able to do some warding, and with a bit of deception he could probably buy a wand that would suit him.

He could buy a muggle house in a small village in France, ward it, perhaps even put it under fidelus and then they could live safely there until Harry turned eleven and he could claim the Potter Lordship. That would allow them access to Potter Manor and that would be a lot safer once it was taken out of lockdown. The best thing to do would be to hide in plain sight. Live as muggles for all intents and purposes, change their names, dye their hair and wear muggle contacts to change their eye colour. They would be completely unremarkable and that would protect them. Nobody would suspect a small French town as their home and nobody would suspect a small French family were actually Sirius Black and Harry Potter and nobody would need to know.

Harry would go to school, make friends, have as normal a childhood as possible and he would get a job and they would become part of the fabric of the town. Muggles. Most wizards would ignore them. After all what was remarkable about a French father and his young son? He would keep an eye out for the ministry and they might have to run if they got too close but it was unlikely.

He was suddenly extremely thankful he had taken muggle studies at Hogwarts, first to spite his parents and then because he had actually become fascinated by their lifestyle. Lily had been immensely helpful and he knew with his lessons and what he had been taught by Lily he knew more than enough about how to survive in the muggle world and pass as a muggle, it would just take a bit of time to get reacquainted with their technology and any new technology that had appeared while he had been imprisoned.

That sorted he focussed on what he would have to do before he took Harry. He would need to get some muggle money, buy some new clothing that was not transfigured, get some clothing and toys for Harry, forge the necessary documents, buy contacts and hair dye. In fact he would have to prepare everything he needed to pull off the fiction of a family going away to France for a few weeks. He would have to work quickly. Everything would have to be ready when he went to collect Harry, the quicker they were out of England the better.

Following the golden light, he ran on, getting closer and closer to Harry as the night passed.

* * *

It was a slow day in the DMLE and Amelia Bones sighed as she went through yet another stack of paperwork. She had been overjoyed when she had received the promotion to deputy head of the department, but some days it just seemed like it was paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. More and more frequently she found herself longing to be back on the regular force of Aurors. Even if the work had been boring at points, there was the satisfaction of knowing that you were actually doing something, actually making a difference instead of being stuck doing paperwork that nobody would ever read when she could be doing something useful.

There was a knock on the door and then a young auror burst into her office. She looked up in annoyance, it wasn't really polite to barge in like that, however the woman's next words threw all such thoughts out of her head.

"News from Azkaban," she gasped out, "Sirius Black is missing, he's escaped."

"What!" She thundered, rising to her feet. The auror cowered at her anger,

"The dementors reported that he had died this morning, they had had no sense of a presence since the previous night but when the aurors went to retrieve the body the cell was empty. They are searching the grounds as we speak but they think he has already left the island."

"Come with me," Amelia's face was a mask, hiding her shock and fear, "We need to go and see Lars. Pull yourself together girl." The last remark was directed waspishly at the auror who's face still showed her terror.

Privately Amelia thought she had the right idea. Sirius Black was the most infamous prisoner in Azkaban, betrayer of the Potters and mass murderer and now he had escaped. There was no knowing what dark magic he must have used in order to escape and she couldn't help but fear him. He was rumoured to be the right hand man of You-Know-Who and she could clearly remember the terror of the war. If Black tried to bring his master back they would be plunged into the war again. She hoped he hadn't managed to find a wand, he was a formidable wizard and there was no knowing what terror he could unleash herself. At least Potter was safe, his protections had been made by Albus Dumbledore himself, he would be beyond Black's reach.

She had no way of knowing however that right at that moment Harry Potter, alone in his cupboard wanted nothing more than for somebody to come and take him, somebody come and actually love him. Or that Sirius Black was already getting closer to him as she spoke, with no ill intentions towards the boy whatsoever, in fact all he wanted was to save his precious godson.

* * *

Hi all. First I must grovel for your forgiveness, I would have updated at the weekend but it was my dad's birthday and that occupied most of the weekend plus we went to Surrey to see the Olympic Road Race, pity about the result.

In other news, I'm going away on holiday for two weeks this friday and I don't think I'm going to have internet access in that time so no updates for two weeks I'm afraid. However lack of internet will not stop me writing so I will have new chapters ready when I get back.

Thanks for all the reviews and interest in this story and apologies again.

Please review! :)


	4. Chapter 3

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 3**

Sirius was nearly there. He had been running for over a week now and the trail had led him straight to Surrey. He had been furious when he realised what had happened. He remembered that Lily had had a sister who lived in a small town in Surrey, the woman had turned up at their wedding with her good for nothing husband and had proceeded to insult Lily and James before cutting off all ties with them. The vile woman had hated all things magical and had managed to reduce Lily to tears. He had been unable to prevent a growl at the memory. Lily was such a kind, caring person and for her sister to reduce her to tears on her wedding day no less spoke volumes about the sister. And for Harry to have been sent there of all places. Sirius knew his godson wouldn't be happy there, they hated magic and he was certain they would have made Harry's life a living hell.

Ever since he had escaped the emotion bond had been getting steadily stronger. He had rapidly come to the conclusion that something around Azkaban had been muffling the bond, whether it had been the ancient magic surrounding the place or simply the air of misery which hung over it he could not be sure but he didn't have a chance to dwell on it.

He had been reaching out through the bond every single hour and what he had felt was awful. The pain hadn't subsided since the backlash that had finally broken through Azkaban and he could clearly feel Harry's despair and loneliness. Every time he tried to send his own emotions back through the bond, tried to send feelings of love and concern back at him, hoping he could reach his godson.

They had never really been sure if the bond worked both ways, or if you could project your own emotions back along it. Harry had been too young to really understand, they had intended to experiment a little when he was older but then Halloween. Sirius forced his thoughts away from that awful night, he couldn't dwell on the past, thinking about that night only brought the guilt to the fore and he couldn't be incapacitated by that now. Harry needed him and he had to help his godson, the boy he almost regarded as his own.

Sometimes when he had pushed his own emotions along the bond he thought he had registered a slight change in Harry's emotions. A lessening of the loneliness and despair, it was slight, so slight he wasn't sure he had imagined it but there was one incident when he was certain something had changed. A flash of hope had slipped down the connection ever since that his emotions had lifted slightly. There was a slight tint of hope, and the loneliness had receded slightly. It warmed his heart to think that he was able to make a difference, even constrained as he was.

* * *

It was dark when he padded into Little Whinging. He had managed to steal some money and replicate it a few days into his trek southwards and over the past few days he had replicated enough to give him nearly £900. It would be enough to carry out the fiction he wished to convey.

Therefore the day before he arrived in Little Whinging he had applied the strongest glamour charm he was capable of casting with a stolen wand and he had proceeded to buy a whole new muggle wardrobe, containing several T-shirts, two pairs of trousers, two jumpers, a waterproof, shoes, underwear, socks, a coat and pyjamas. Brown hair dye and green tinted contact lenses had also been purchased, he would use glamours when he could but in case they fell, he didn't want his real identity or that of Harry's to be revealed and muggle dye wouldn't change even with a finite. He had also bought a suitcase and small rucksack for Harry. They would purchase some toys on their way out of the country, he intended to travel using muggle means, wizards wouldn't think to check them. And lastly he had bought some new clothes for Harry. Not very many, just the basics, he would take him shopping properly later but he had the suspicion his relatives wouldn't have bought him much and anyway he would need some in the suitcase in order to maintain the fiction of a family holiday.

The golden light still pulsed in front of him, guiding him through the suburbs until he reached Privet Drive where it pulled him straight to number four. Anticipation and worry rose in him. Harry was so close, just inside the house and he wanted desperately to go in there and pull Harry into his arms and never let him go again but he had to wait. He couldn't go in there whilst the muggles were awake no matter what he wanted. He didn't need them to see him and have information to give the wizards whenever they came knocking, searching for their saviour.

Stealthily he crept round the back and he knew his earlier intuition had been correct. Lights were still on in the back of the house and he could see the figures of Vernon and Petunia sitting in their living room watching the television, the clock on the mantelpiece read 10:25. He would wait for several hours then he would go and take Harry in the early hours of the morning, when he was certain they were asleep and he would walk far enough to escape the notice of anyone who might be watching before apparating away to London, and a hotel room he had booked earlier. Then they would be able to get the train out of Britain that afternoon and they would be safe, at least for the time being.

He lay down beneath the rose bushes, hiding in the shadows as he waited. Soon he would have Harry, soon they would be safe.

* * *

Harry lay in his cupboard, the pain in his wrist keeping him awake. He knew over a week had passed since he had first been thrown in there after the beating and he had only been allowed out once each day to do his chores and go to the toilet. His wrist still flared in agony each time he moved but he was beginning to become accustomed to the pain. It was just there and there was nothing he could do about it. He supposed he was lucky he had broken his left wrist, at least he didn't have to try and do his chores with that hand.

He wanted to sleep. He had started to long for the hours he spent at night in his cupboard because ever since his beating he had had nice dreams. Dreams of a man's face, looking down with him with so much love in his expression. He wished he knew who the man was. He had the feeling he had known him, perhaps from when he was a baby but he couldn't remember, he just knew the face was familiar. But better than the face was the feelings that came with it. He was sure he was imagining it but sometimes, when he was dreaming, or floating off to sleep he could feel the love, protectiveness and concern envelope him and hold him safely.

He liked it. He wanted it to continue. He wanted the man, whoever he was to come and take him away. Even though he was a freak, even though he didn't deserve to be loved he wanted to be. Maybe this man was real, maybe he would actually come. All he could do was close his eyes and wish.

Please, please let him come and take me away. I'll be good, I promise. Just let him come.

* * *

The moon was setting when Sirius finally stood and transformed, slipping his wand out of his pocket he approached the house on silent feet, the golden light pointing unerringly towards the interior of the house. A muttered Alohamora and the back door swung slowly open. He caught it with his fingers, easing it closed and slipped into the immaculate kitchen. In the moonlight the surfaces gleamed unpleasantly, the place almost seemed too clean.

Easing the kitchen door open he stepped out into the hallway and froze in shock. The golden light heading out from his chest was pointing straight at the door of a small cupboard under the stairs. He felt rage well up inside him. Those filthy muggles had kept his godson, James's son in a bloody cupboard! Surpressing the growls that were forcing their way out of his throat he quickly went upstairs and cast the strongest sleeping charm possible on the three muggles who dared to call themselves Harry's relatives. Turning he made his way back down the stairs and with trembling fingers he opened the locks on the cupboard door.

* * *

Harry woke suddenly. He could hear somebody walking up the stairs but it wasn't footsteps he recognised, they were light, quiet, completely different from the heavy tread of his uncle and cousin or the precise footsteps of his Aunt. Someone was here, someone he didn't know. Hope surged through him but he pushed it down just as quickly. It was just a dream, no matter how much he wished it were true. He couldn't allow himself to hope, it was one of his main survival methods.

The footsteps came closer and stopped in front of his cupboard, he could hear the bolts being drawn back. Instantly he pulled away, curling up into a little ball in the back of his cupboard. Nothing good happened when the cupboard was opened, particularly at night. Fear filled eyes stared straight at the cupboard door, preparing for the pain, his broken wrist clenched against his chest, hiding it from his uncle's fists.

The latch clicked and somebody pulled the door open. Harry blinked at the light that flowed into his normally dark cupboard, the stranger must have turned on the hall lights. As his eyes adjusted he could make out the features of the person bending down into his cupboard, "Hello Harry," The voice was soft and gentle. It had the same loving tone Aunt Petunia used when she spoke to Dudley but nobody would ever use such a tone on a freak like him.

He fumbled around, reaching for his glasses so he could see the stranger properly. Finding them in his small fist he jammed then onto his nose and his eyes widened in surprise. "You're the man from my dream." He clamped his hand over his mouth the next second. He had spoken to an adult and Uncle Vernon said he was never supposed to speak without permission. He looked down, "Sorry sir."

"There's nothing to be sorry for pup and you don't need to call me sir, I'm Padfoot or Sirius." His voice was still gentle and there was no hint of anger in his tone. Hesitantly Harry looked up again, he didn't know why but this man, Padfoot, felt nice, like he wasn't going to hurt him. He could feel other emotions, like the ones he had been feeling the past week. Warm feelings, protectiveness, care, worry, nervousness and another feeling he couldn't quite recognise but one that felt nice, one that he wanted to feel.

"Are you my Daddy?" The questioned slipped out before he could stop it and he instantly dropped his gaze.

"No Harry, I'm not your Daddy," He could hear the sadness in the man's, Padfoot's voice but he didn't know what had caused it, "I'm your godfather, your parents wanted me to care for you if they weren't able to."

"You knew my parents?" Harry asked, his voice filled with wonder, forgetting he wasn't supposed to ask questions. Padfoot might not be his daddy but he knew his parents and that was the next best thing. Aunt Petunia had never said anything about his parents, expect to call them freaks and to say his mummy had died in a car crash.

"Yes puppy, I was best friends with James, your dad," he added in response to Harry's questioning look. Merlin, did the boy know nothing about his parents! From the almost hungry expression on his face it was obvious he had been told hardly anything. Sirius felt rage wash over him, how could anyone not tell an orphan about the parents that had given their lives to save them. Looking at his godson he could see how thin he was and the raggedy clothes he was wearing that seemed to be several sizes too large. Well he would rectify that.

Harry had fallen silent, obviously waiting for him to speak. Sirius pushed down his anger and smiled gently at him. "Would you like to come and live with me?"

Harry stared at Sirius, his expression incredulous. Leave the Dursleys? Go with this man who knew his parents, who had been nothing but nice to him. He hadn't shouted or tried to hit him even once, and even when he had done something bad. It was everything he had ever wished for but he just had to make sure, make sure it wasn't a trick. "Y-y-you want me to come with you?"

The smile he was given was wide and he could feel the happiness pouring off the man, his godfather. "More than anything." Harry smiled shyly. He was wanted, Sirius was going to take him away. The choice was easy. He nodded quickly, "Yes please sir,"

"Padfoot," his godfather said quietly. Harry looked at him in horror. He had only just accepted the offer of a new home and he had already done something wrong. Tears began to prick at the corner of his eyes, he would be punished for sure, maybe he would even be left behind. He wasn't going to cry, freaks weren't allowed to cry but traitorous tears began to slip down his cheeks.

"Shh pup, it's alright, you don't need to cry." Sirius reached out for him and Harry flinched back. He was going to be hit. "I won't hurt you Harry, I promise." Harry didn't believe him but he wasn't able to say anything more because Sirius's hands caught him and pulled him towards the man's chest. He stiffened at the touch but his godfather's arms wrapped round him holding him in a tight hug, rocking him gently. "It's alright Harry, you're safe and I won't hit you I promise." After he got over his initial surprise Harry relaxed into the secure hold. He had never felt so safe, so loved. His own hand buried itself in Padfoot's shirt and he hung on tightly.

Soon his tears stopped and Sirius glanced down at him. "Better?" he asked softly. Harry just nodded. "Is there anything you want to keep?" He shook his head. "Okay then, lets go."

Carefully he stood, ensuring Harry didn't bump his head on the cupboard door. Once he was standing he shifted Harry so his godson was balanced carefully on his hip and he quickly exited the house, Harry still holding tight to him with one fist. A quick flick of the wand glamoured both of them, it would hold up until they reached the hotel.

The night air was cold and Harry shivered against him. He cast a warming charm over his godson and hugged him closer, unable to believe that Harry was here, Harry was safe and with him for the first time in too many years. Harry stiffened slightly but he soon relaxed and Sirius heard him yawn before a small head came down to rest on his shoulder and Harry drifted off to sleep, safe in his arms.

* * *

Hi all, I'm back and updating as promised, weekly updates, barring a couple of odd updates will be back by the end of this week.

Hope you enjoy it and thanks for all the reviews.


	5. Chapter 4

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 4**

Sirius smiled as he walked. Harry was asleep in his arms for the first time in five years and he could feel the love he had for his godson well up inside him. He had failed Harry when he had gone after the rat but now he could give his godson the loving home he should always have had. He had travelled several miles from Privet Drive on foot, that way, hopefully, nobody would connect the fading apparition trace with Harry's disappearance.

He stopped in the shadows under a large oak tree, just back off the road, it was about four in the morning, but still an occasional car passed by and he didn't want anyone, even muggles to spot them. Despite the glamours it was fairly odd for a man to be walking about with a small child at this time of night. Gently he shook Harry, it wouldn't be a good idea to apparate whilst the child was still asleep, the sensation was rather disconcerting and it would probably make him feel ill if he was still asleep and woke up during the process.

* * *

Harry blinked sleepily as he was shaken out of sleep. He didn't want to wake up; he had had such a nice dream. He had dreamt that the man had come and taken him away and called himself Harry's godfather. He had felt safe and wanted for the first time in his life and he didn't want to let it go and wake up. The shaking was becoming more insistent and knowing his punishment would only be worse if he didn't wake up soon, not to mention the movement was aggravating his wrist, he pushed back sleep and blinked blearily.

"Hey there pup." Sirius's voice was soft and instantly Harry was awake.

It hadn't been a dream after all, his godfather, Padfoot or Sirius he reminded himself, had actually come to fetch him and had taken him away. At that realisation he also started to notice his surroundings. It was very dark and he was cold, they were outside somewhere. Shivering he snuggled up against Padfoot, who he now realised was still carrying him securely, soaking in the warmth of the older man. He felt happier than he had ever felt before. He was away from his horrible Aunt and Uncle and Padfoot had been nice to him and actually seemed to care for him, even though he was a good for nothing freak.

Noticing his godson's shivers, Sirius pulled Harry closer, trying to keep him as warm as possible. "Harry, I'm going to do something and it will feel odd for a moment but you don't need to worry alright. Just hold on tightly and it will all be over very soon, okay?" Harry just nodded and gripped him tightly with one fist. Making a mental note to check his other hand Sirius took a strong hold of Harry then he apparated.

Harry felt as if he was being squeezed from all sides and pain flared up his wrist, the pressure was only acerbating the break. Then as suddenly as it started the sensation stopped and he clung to Sirius sobbing. Sinking down onto the bed Sirius hugged Harry tighter, stroking his fingers through the messy mop of hair hoping to calm him.

"Shhh pup, it's okay. It's over. I'm here." He continued to murmur reassurances and comfort and slowly the sobs changed into hiccups before finally stopping altogether. Sirius was just about to put Harry down on the bed and go and turn the lights on when Harry spoke.

"Sorry sir."

Harry was beginning to worry. He wasn't supposed to cry, freaks weren't allowed to cry but he had just cried all over Padfoot, even getting his godfather's shirt wet. He had broken a rule and he was going to be punished. He hoped he wouldn't be sent back, the short time he had spent with Padfoot was already the best time of his life but he knew even if Padfoot kept him he was going to be hit.

"Why are you sorry pup? And it's Padfoot or Sirius." He reminded him gently, placing Harry on the bed, dispelling the glamours then striding over to the wall to turn the lights on as he waited for the answer. Harry bit his lip, there was another thing he had done wrong but Padfoot didn't seem to know about the rules and he didn't seem to be mad, but it was hard to tell in the dark.

Lights winked on and he blinked at the sudden brightness, his eyes trying to adjust to the light. By the time they had Padfoot had moved back to the bed and was now sitting next to him, waiting for an answer. Harry looked away, "Sorry sir, I mean Padfoot and I'm sorry for crying and getting your shirt wet." He waited for the blow, hoping it would be softer though because he had apologised first.

"You don't have to say sorry for that pup!" Padfoot's voice was incredulous and Harry looked up completely startled.

"You're not mad?"

"No puppy, I'd never be mad at you for crying." His voice was soft and his grey eyes were pleading as he tried to make Harry understand. "You can cry whenever you want to, even on me and it is completely fine. I will never be mad at you for crying." Harry looked at him, a question clear in his eyes. Sirius just smiled warmly at him. "Come here Harry." He opened his arms in invitation and after a few moments hesitation Harry shifted across the bed covers towards his godfather and snuggled against his side, only flinching slightly when Padfoot embraced him. He could hardly believe that he wasn't about to be punished but Padfoot seemed to want him and he didn't seem mad.

Cautiously he reached out, trying to see if he could feel the emotions again. It wasn't something he had tried before but he wanted the reassurance Padfoot wasn't mad and that he wasn't about to hit him, even though he was hugging him. Sometimes Uncle Vernon had pretended to be nice to him but had just done something more horrible. He didn't think Padfoot would do that, he hadn't been nasty yet but he couldn't be sure. Suddenly emotions surrounded him, concern, protectiveness, happiness and something he didn't even want to name for fear it would turn out to be a dream. One thing was absolutely certain, Padfoot was not mad with him.

* * *

Sirius was worried. He had found his godson in some of the most deplorable conditions one could find a child in. Locked in a cupboard, wearing rags, thin, looking more like a five year old than the six and a half years old he was. Even his parents, who hadn't exactly liked him had at least given him a bedroom and regular meals! And flinching every time an adult got close was not normal either, as well as saying sorry all the time and for some of the most ridiculous things. He felt guilt well up inside him. He should have been there for Harry, prevented this from happening. He shouldn't have gone after Peter that night, he should have demanded Harry and kept him safe. It was all his fault. The small form of his godson pressing against his side pulled him out of his thoughts. He couldn't change the past but by Merlin he would be here for Harry now and nobody, not least those incompetent fools at the Ministry would be able to stop him.

That thought reminded him of his earlier worries. "Harry could I see your hands please?" He asked quietly. At the wary look he was given he felt complied to add, "I won't hurt you I promise, I'm just worried and I want to see them please." After one more wary glance Harry pulled back and slowly extended his hands in front of him, trying not to hiss with pain as his wrist complained. He had learnt long ago to follow the orders of adults.

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath as he looked at his godson's wrist. It was immediately apparent what was wrong. The whole of his left wrist was swollen and there was dark purple bruising decorating it, not to mention Harry held it stiffly, at a somewhat odd angle. Sirius knew immediately that it was broken. He had seen too many injuries due to Remus's 'little furry problem' not to have picked up how to tell what different injuries were. Furthermore due to the injuries they received as animagi that they couldn't go to the hospital wing for without being found out all the Marauders had learnt a wide variety of healing spells.

"Harry I'm going to make it better, so just hold still okay?" Fear filled Harry's eyes and he began to shake in terror. When Uncle Vernon said he would make something better he always hurt him even more and his wrist was already extremely painful. Padfoot took out a long thin stick bringing it closer and Harry couldn't help but flinch backwards. "Please sir, please don't hurt me. I promise I'll be good."

"Pup, I'll never hurt you, I just want to make it better. Let me help you please."

Sirius's voice was soothing and calm but what really shocked Harry was that he had actually asked permission. Nobody had ever asked him his permission to do anything relating to him before especially an adult, he had always been ordered around with no regard for what he wanted or needed. If Padfoot was asking, maybe it meant he wasn't going to hurt him. With a jerky nod, he stretched out his hands again, which he had withdrawn when his godfather had spoken. Padfoot tapped his wrist with the stick and there was a brief flare of pain before the pain subsided to a dull ache and slowly the wrist straightened before his eyes. Another tap and white bandages wrapped themselves securely round his wrist, holding the still tender bones in position.

Sirius surveyed the bandages before nodding slowly. He hadn't completely managed to heal the break, it was already old and the wand wasn't working brilliantly for him but he had done enough to make it a lot more comfortable for Harry. He would create a sling before they left the room in the morning and the remaining damage would heal the muggle way.

"Thank you," A quiet whisper came from his small godson and Sirius smiled gently down at him.

"You're welcome puppy."

Harry smiled back shyly and his gaze dropped down to his wrist which was now swaddled in bandages. It felt so much better and he could ignore the remaining ache easily. He wondered how Padfoot had managed to make it better, he had never been to the doctors before so maybe Padfoot was a doctor and the stick was something they used to make people better. It certainly made more sense than thinking it was some sort of magic, he knew magic didn't exist, Uncle Vernon had been very strict on that point so Padfoot was probably a sort of doctor. He yawned, the late hour catching up with the six year old.

Sirius noticed the yawn instantly, and glancing over at the clock, realised it was still around four in the morning and that they could both do with a few more hours sleep until the hotel served breakfast. They were fairly safe here. Glancing around the room he wondered what the best option was, he could put up the small child's bed or Harry could stay with him in the large hotel bed. Running a hand distractedly through his hair he realised he didn't know much about his godson or his preferences so it would probably be easier to ask.

"Harry," He said quietly and the child's head snapped round to look at him, "Do you want to sleep with me tonight or do you want me to put up the child's bed for you?"

Harry bit his lip considering. He had never been allowed to sleep with an adult before, Dudley was, whenever he had a nightmare but he always had to stay in his cupboard and he wanted to keep the feeling of being protected that he had around Padfoot and if he chose the child's bed he would make work for Padfoot and that was bad, it would make him more of a burden.

"I'd like to stay with you," he said timidly, hoping it was the right answer but Padfoot just smiled and went to a case where he took out a small pair of pyjamas and handed them to him. "Put these on," he instructed whilst he changed into his own pair. Harry stared at the soft fabric in his hands for several seconds before he slowly started to change into them. He had never been given anything that wasn't Dudley's before and he was extremely surprised when they were only a little bit too big.

As soon as he was finished he sat on the bed, patiently waiting for his godfather to finish. Soon Padfoot was done as well and he slipped into the bed, holding the covers open, inviting Harry in. Quickly Harry crawled under them and Padfoot's arm came and captured him, tugging him gently to his side. Harry snuggled up against Sirius, falling asleep very quickly as he relaxed completely in the security and love of his godfather's hold. Sirius smiled tenderly at the small boy who was cuddled up against him, his breathing even and relaxed, showing he had slipped into sleep. Closing his eyes as well he drifted into the first relaxed sleep he had had since escaping Azkaban.

* * *

Hey all, early update I know but I hate updating my stories next to one another so I'm trying to spread them out a bit. So from now one this should be updated every wednesday baring extenuating circumstances.

Thanks to the kind reviewers who have pointed out the mistakes in my chapters, and particularly Voldemort is Dead for pointing out the mistake in the chapter summary (since corrected).

Anyway thanks again for all the reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review.


	6. Chapter 5

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 5**

Light shone into the small hotel room and Harry stirred slightly. He was warm and for some odd reason he felt completely safe. He could hear the heavy breathing of another person next to him and he could feel the strong arms that still held him. Blinking away the sleep he wondered where he was for several moments. He certainly wasn't in his cupboard and he knew that the Dursleys would never let him sleep in the same bed as them, he wasn't even allowed in their room to clean it.

"Harry?"

He stiffened at the unexpected sound, before relaxing slightly as the memories flooded back. He was no longer at the Dursleys, he had been rescued by his godfather and he had been shown more kindness in a few hours than he had in nearly five years at the Dursleys. The arms holding him tugged him closer until he was resting against Padfoot's chest. He felt completely safe, an alien feeling but one that he still enjoyed and savoured. Was this what having a daddy felt like?

Sirius sat up slowly, gently lifting Harry up so the boy was sitting in his lap. There were several things he was going to have to explain to Harry before they had breakfast and he wasn't looking forward to the conversation; however he knew it was necessary. He would not keep things from his godson and sooner or later Harry would ask questions and it would be better if he knew everything, simplified and most of the horror muted of course. Harry was sitting on his lap, his head resting against his chest and he smiled at the show of trust, it felt so good to hold his pup once more, a situation he could not have contemplated in Azkaban. He pulled himself out of his wandering thoughts; they would not help him get through the coming conversation and they didn't have that much time. There was just over two hours until the hotel served breakfast and their ferry left three hours after that. He wanted to be off British soil as soon as possible.

He cast around his mind, looking for a way to begin. Finally he had it, "Harry, do you know how your parents died?" He asked gently. There was a long pause, Harry hadn't spoken unless addressed first since they had left the Dursleys, then,

"Yes. They were drunks and they had been drinking and got into a car crash which killed them and dumped me with my hardworking relatives." His voice had the monotone of something learnt by rote, something he had heard again and again.

Sirius was completely shocked. Those bastards had lied, lied about James and Lily, lied to their orphaned son! Rage welled up inside him. It was bad enough they hadn't told him anything about his parents but to have lied about the people who gave their lives to protect him, it was despicable. "No, puppy, no," he said fiercely, "Your parents didn't die in a car crash, they were murdered by a bad man, he came to their house and-and..."

He couldn't go on. Memories that had haunted him every single day in Azkaban rose up again. Seeing the wreck of the cottage, seeing the body of his best friend, his brother in all but blood, lying there amongst the ruin. Going upstairs, the nursery door blown off its hinges, the body of Lily lying in front of the cot, her arms outstretched, begging even in death for her son to be spared. And the knowledge that it was all his fault, if he hadn't suggested the switch, if he had been the Keeper they would still be alive, they wouldn't have died.

Harry was almost numb. His parents hadn't died in a car crash, they had been murdered. Why had his Aunt and Uncle lied to him? He didn't know why but he believed his godfather, he trusted him much more than he had ever trusted his so called family. Something else began to intrude on his consciousness, a sense of sadness so vast it was almost overpowering. It was like the emotions he had sensed before, it wasn't his and he was fairly sure that it came from Padfoot.

"Why are you sad Padfoot?" He asked quietly, ready to move backwards if it looked like he was going to be hit. But no blow came, instead Padfoot pulled him closer, tightening his grip,

"I miss your parents very very much pup."

"You do?" The surprise in the small voice was heartbreaking and Sirius pulled Harry closer, snuggling him against his chest, silently damning the Dursleys who had dared tell such lies and had been so unfeeling towards his godson.

"Every day Harry, every day."

"Because they were mur-mur-dered?" Harry stumbled over the unfamiliar word. That more than anything pulled Sirius out of his memories. If Harry could talk about this he could too, he owed it to Lily and James, their son should know how they died to save him. He sucked in a deep breath, "Yes pup, there was a bad wizard called Voldemort..."

"Magic isn't real." Harry spoke up, the fear in his eyes but the determination clear in his voice. It had been a lesson pounded into him, there was no such thing as magic or witches or wizards. He knew this and although speaking was against the rules mentioning magic was a worse thing to do and he was prepared to take the punishment for interrupting, even though Padfoot hadn't punished him yet because he didn't want the beating he would get for listening about magic.

"Did your Aunt and Uncle tell you that?" Sirius asked softly, trying to keep his rage from showing. Not only had they lied about his parents, they had lied about what he was and from the looks of it, punished him as well, for mentioning it or hearing about it. At the affirmative nod he sighed,

"They lied pup. Magic is real, your parents were a witch and wizard, I'm a wizard and you are one too." He watched as Harry's eyes became almost impossibly big but then Harry shook his head, a blank mask slipping down over his face. It was obvious Harry was not going to believe him without proof, clearly something had happened in that house to make him scared of magic. "Harry if I prove magic is real will you believe me?"

Harry thought about it, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. Magic didn't exist and he couldn't be a wizard but if magic did, could he be a wizard? He didn't know but he decided it wouldn't hurt to agree, Padfoot couldn't show him magic anyway. Padfoot hadn't punished him when he was talking about magic and he knew he wasn't supposed to disagree with adults. Tentatively he nodded, hoping it was the right response. However Padfoot just smiled warmly at him and reached for the stick he had used to make his wrist better the night before.

He pointed it at the suitcase in the corner of the room and slowly it rose into the air before changing colour and being lowered to the floor. Then Padfoot tapped the card on the bedside table, turning it into a mouse and back again. Harry's eyes grew almost impossibly wide and he turned to look back at Padfoot who was grinning at him. "It's really real." He said, his voice full of wonder. Sirius nodded and hugged Harry tightly, relieved the Dursleys hadn't managed to get rid of Harry's sense of wonder with the world around him. His mood soured though as he remembered the reason he had to explain magic to Harry, Lily and James's deaths.

Harry it seemed had also remembered. Turning emerald eyes on his godfather he paused as if wondering if he should continue, and at Sirius's soft prompt he pulled in his courage and spoke, "My mummy and daddy?"

Sirius smiled sadly, "There was a bad wizard called Voldemort and he didn't like your mummy and daddy because they were good wizards and they tried to stop him. When you were born they hid so that he couldn't find him and they cast a spell to hide them. They had two friends who agreed to help them, and they would hide them. But one of the friends, called Pettigrew was bad and he told Voldemort where your mummy and daddy were hidden and Voldemort came to their house on Halloween and killed them. When the good friend realised what Pettigrew had done he went after him but Pettigrew faked his death and made it look like the good friend had betrayed your mummy and daddy."

Harry frowned, tears beginning to well up in his eyes as he heard the real story of his parent's deaths for the first time, complete with the betrayal and the story of Sirius's imprisonment. "Like when Dudley broke the vase and told Aunt Petunia I did it and I got punished?" Harry asked quietly. Sirius nodded instantly, relieved Harry had some way to understand his imprisonment, even though he hated he had such a parallel at the same time.

Harry was silent for several moments absorbing the true story, then he started to sob, tears running down his cheeks. Sirius held him close, letting Harry bury his face in his chest as he cried for the parents he had never known. Several minutes later the sobs subsided to hiccups and he looked up at Sirius, using his eyes to ask whether he could ask a question. "You don't have to ask that," he said softly, "You can ask questions whenever you like."

"Yes sir – Padfoot," he amended hurriedly as he saw Sirius draw breath. "Did they love me?" He asked, his quiet voice trembling. Sirius tightened his grip,

"More than anything puppy, more than anything." Harry smiled although tears still prickled in his eyes. His parents loved him, he had been loved, he had had a family but they were gone now. That caused him to start crying again, it wasn't fair, why did the bad man kill them? Why did they send him to his Aunt and Uncle? He hid his face in Padfoot's shirt once more as he cried, his small body shaking with the force of the sobs. Softly Sirius stroked his back as he held him, letting him cry.

Finally the tears ceased and another question came to Harry, "What happened to the good friend?"

"He was put in prison and he stayed there for nearly five years, then he broke out because he could feel his godson was hurt and he came and rescued his godson from his cupboard and his nasty Aunt and Uncle," Harry's eyes were getting wider and wider as Sirius continued to speak, "And I am going to hide with my godson and look after him and love him." Absolute wonder shone in Harry's face as Sirius finished.

"You were the good friend?" He whispered. Sirius merely smiled sadly and nodded, "And you love me?" He asked, wanting the answer to be yes so badly it hurt, but at the same time hiding the fear that this was all too good to be true and that Padfoot was talking about someone else.

"Yes Harry, I love you more than my own life."

There was a pause as Harry absorbed that statement. Reaching out he felt love swirling around to surround him, cocooning him in its warmth. It was true he realised, Padfoot loved him, even though he was a freak, even though he knew he didn't deserve love. Sirius's arms tightened around him, pulling him against his chest and Harry burrowed into his godfather's hold, an expression of pure joy on his small face. Sirius softly kissed the boy's messy hair and Harry snuggled deeper into the hug, sure for the first time in five years that he was actually wanted.

They sat like that, Harry curled up in Sirius's lap, held in a gentle embrace, for several moments, before the sharp ringing of the alarm clock drew Sirius's attention back to the time. There was an hour before breakfast started and they needed to get ready to go and he needed to explain to Harry about how they were hiding and what they were going to do. "Harry," he said quietly and his godson's head snapped up, giving him his undivided attention.

"You know I said I broke out of prison," Harry nodded, "It means that there are people who are looking for me and they would send me back to prison and you to your Aunt if they found us."

Harry started to shake, "I don't want you to be taken away," he whimpered, "You're the only person who is nice to me." Sirius softly stroked the little boy's hair and cuddled him close, murmuring reassurances, trying to calm him. Slowly the shaking stopped, although Harry stayed firmly in his lap, making no move to escape, his eyes fearful. "I'm not going anywhere," Sirius murmured once more, holding Harry tightly. "To ensure they won't catch us, we are going to live in France and be disguised. I'm going to cast a spell so we look different and we are going to use different names when we are in public and they won't catch us and take you away."

"They won't take you away?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"I promise they won't take me away puppy. Now, I think you need a bath and some new clothes before we have breakfast."

Harry let Sirius pick him up and carry him into the bathroom, Padfoot wasn't going to go away and he was going to get new clothes! The only clothes he had owned had belonged to Dudley and he was going to be given clothes that Dudley hadn't worn and that might fit! Did they even make clothes that were his size? He didn't know but the pyjamas Padfoot had given him last night had only been a little too big, so maybe the new clothes would be similar.

The water crashed into the tub and Harry watched in bemusement as it started to steam. Baths were always cold when Aunt Petunia decided he was dirty enough to need washing so why was the water steaming? He didn't have time to wonder as Padfoot turned the tap off and reached out to help him out of his pyjamas. Soon he found himself sitting in a bath with warm water surrounding him, experimentally he dragged a hand through the water, finding nothing but warmth. A grin spread across his face as he was handed the soap and he started to wash himself. Padfoot helped him with his back, and gently washed his hair, placing a hand over his forehead to prevent the shampoo from running down into his eyes, something Aunt Petunia never bothered with, and it felt nice not to have stinging eyes at the end of the bath.

However he was confused when Padfoot took out another packet, "It's going to change the colour of your hair for a few days so that people don't recognise you," he explained in response to the questioning look. Soon Harry's hair took on a light brown hue and Sirius lifted him out of the bath, swaddling him in a large fluffy towel. The new hair colour lessened the painful resemblance to James, Sirius hadn't noticed it the previous night, so much had happened but he had received a large shock this morning when he first got a proper look at Harry.

Sirius retrieved a set of clothes for Harry from the case in the main room and as Harry dressed he dealt with his own hair and put in his contacts. By the time he was finished Harry was wearing a red T-shirt with a picture of a lion and a pair of dark blue denim shorts and a small pair of trainers. They were a bit big but they were a heck of a lot better than the rags he had been wearing the previous night. With a wave of his wand and a muttered incantation the bandages were replaced on the boy's wrist. Then, quickly Sirius got dressed and with a flick of his wand the case was packed, only the rucksack outside it, everything ready to go straight after breakfast. The only thing he had to do was think of a name for Harry.

He had booked the hotel under the name Patrick Evans, it was a fairly common muggle surname plus it honoured Lily but he needed a first name for Harry, neither Harry nor James would be suitable, both would raise flags if anyone managed to trace them here. "What's your favourite name pup?" Harry tilted his head considering,

"Ben," he finally decided. Sirius smiled at him,

"Then you are going to be Ben Evans when we are in public, think you can remember that?" As Harry nodded, Sirius waved his wand glamouring both of them and a second wave changed their passports so they now contained their new faces and names.

That done he reached down and took Harry's hand, enfolding the boy's small hand in his, then they headed down to breakfast.

* * *

Here you are, hope you enjoyed it and it would be nice if the number of reviews surpassed 100 and see you next Wednesday!


	7. Chapter 6

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 6**

"Padfoot," Harry tugged at Sirius's arm, his small face worried. He didn't know what his godfather would want for breakfast and he was already late to start cooking, he hoped that Padfoot wouldn't get mad when it took him some time to make it, and he hoped he knew how to make whatever it was.

"Yes Ben?" Sirius asked, smiling down at the very earnest young boy, but also subtly reminding him about the switch in names. His godson's forehead furrowed for a moment before understanding dawned in his eyes. "What do you want for breakfast?" Sirius was a bit taken aback and it must have shown because Harry paused for a moment before continuing to speak. "I need to know what I'm supposed to make," he glanced around, "And could you tell me where the kitchen is, please Padfoot?"

"You don't have to cook for me puppy!" He exclaimed, but keeping his voice quiet, despite his shock he was acutely aware that there were people who could overhear. Call him paranoid but he was not going to take chances, he was a fugitive on the run with his rescued (kidnapped according to the authorities) godson and any mistakes could be costly, and they would have a cost he was not willing to pay.

"But I always cook for my Aunt and Uncle?"

The confusion was obvious in his voice and Sirius gave into the impulse to pull Harry against him protectively. No child should have to cook for the adults, whether they were their parents or not, and Harry was only six! He would have only just been able to reach the stove and he must have been hurt, it was dangerous for such a young child to cook. It was the simple expectation that sentence revealed that worried Sirius the most though, his godson must have been cooking for a long time to build up that kind of idea, so he must have been cooking since he was three or four and that didn't sit well with Sirius. Not only had his precious godson been kept in a cupboard and physically abused, he had also been used as slave labour as well! The Dursleys were lucky he was on the run, he thought darkly, that would prevent him from going there and committing the murders he had been imprisoned for. Realising Harry was still waiting for an answer he pulled his mind away from that train of thought.

"You will never have to cook for me pup, I'm the grown-up and I cook for you, or buy you a meal."

"But it's my job?"

"No puppy, it is not your job with me, and it should never have been your job in the first place. I am the adult and I look after you, and that includes doing the cooking, the cleaning and getting you proper clothes," Sirius hadn't missed the amazement in Harry's eyes when he mentioned new clothes and having seen rags his godson had been wearing, he had quickly deduced the Dursleys had never bought him anything. "It's my job, not yours."

Harry considered this for several seconds before a shy smile spread over his face. Not having to do the cooking, all the cleaning and getting new clothes, he hadn't even considered that might be possible, even if he was taken away. He would be able to play and have fun. He wouldn't get toys of course; he was a burden, no matter how nice Padfoot was being but if he didn't have chores to do there was so much he would be able to do. He could climb trees, run around, act out stories, play made up games, the list was endless. "I'd like that Padfoot," His godfather smiled at him and ruffled his hair before taking his hand once more.

They made their way into the main dining area of the hotel, a long table almost groaning with the weight of the assorted foodstuffs ran along the back wall and a selection of tables of differing sizes filled the rest of the room. It was to the table at the back Sirius headed to immediately although he noticed Harry's smile had dimmed somewhat and his godson was avoiding looking at the food. He narrowed his eyes when he saw this, correctly deducing the somewhat strange behaviour was down to those damn Dursleys, but didn't act on it any further. He was aware that until they were safely in the French chateaux tonight they couldn't attract more than a passing interest and a scene in the middle of a hotel would be more than counterproductive.

With that in mind Sirius quickly selected breakfast for the two of them, two bowls of cereal, some toast and some bacon, scrambled egg and mushrooms. Then he headed to a small table, just outside of the line of sight from the door, Harry following him. He placed the tray on the table, putting the smaller portions in front of Harry. His godson's eyes widened as his gaze took in the food, then his eyes flicked up to Sirius. "Eat up puppy."

Harry's eyes, if it were possible, grew even wider at this statement. "This food is for me?" He whispered. At his godfather's nod, he slowly picked up his spoon, and, his eyes constantly moving towards Sirius as if waiting for the order to stop, started to eat his cereal. When no such order came, he relaxed his somewhat stiff posture and he started to eat more comfortably. It was only then Sirius started on his own breakfast.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was not usually a troubled man. He possessed a great intellect and an equally great magical strength however ever since the news of Sirius Black's escape had reached him, he had been more than a little uneasy. Black had been the last person he would have suspected to go over to Voldemort but all the evidence pointed in that direction and he had been forced to accept his betrayal but the news of the escape was even more worrisome. Azkaban should drive anyone insane, particularly ones who had memories of a war to relieve yet Black had somehow managed to retain enough of his sanity to achieve the impossible, escape Azkaban.

It should have been impossible, and after five years nobody, yet alone Voldemort's right hand man and spy, who must have witnessed and caused countless atrocities, should have possessed enough presence of mind to formulate a workable plan and execute it. But Black had vanished, the cell had been empty. Nobody had come to the island that day so there had been no outside help, he had no contact with the outside world for five years, and he had been in maximum security, without a wand and he had still managed to disappear in a single night. Even with his full mental prowess he had no idea of how Black had managed it, and that troubled him.

The timing as well was odd, had Black realised he had broken out on Halloween, five years after his greatest betrayal? If it was a coincidence it was a rather sinister one, and if it was deliberate it showed either a strange sort of pleasure in their deaths or the fall of his master, or it showed how his mind had become twisted and that in itself was a frightening prospect. A deranged murderer with nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

But even worse was wondering what Black would do now. Five years in Azkaban must have had some sort of influence on the man, nobody could stay that long around dementors without being affected and he knew Black possessed great magical power, James Potter and Black had been responsible for fully half of the death eater kills or captures in the Order, combined with his intelligence, turned more towards pranks in his Hogwarts days but formidable nonetheless, Black was a dangerous opponent. That, added onto the unpredictability of the madness Azkaban had to have exerted on him meant that they had no way of knowing what Black would do, which made him the greatest current threat to the Wizarding World.

There were two main possibilities however, he could go after his master, and if he did the Second War would come far faster than Dumbledore would like, and Harry was not old enough to fulfil the prophecy. The other possibility, and the more frightening one, was that Black would try to finish the job he had started that Halloween night. If he found Harry and killed him, there would be no chance of defeating Voldemort. He was sure the wards he had erected would keep Black out, nobody with the dark mark, or any follower of Voldemort could enter, but it wouldn't hurt to visit, just to check. Minerva had been ragging at him to visit for the last several months, she was still concerned about the Dursleys and their treatment of Harry. He was aware they didn't provide the loving home he had hoped they would, but it would mean that Harry would be more likely to sacrifice his own happiness for the Wizarding World and fulfil the prophecy. It was for the Greater Good.

He hadn't managed to free any time from Hogwarts in the last week but he should be able to visit this afternoon. It was only for his peace of mind, he was sure nothing would be wrong but he had to check himself, he couldn't wait for Arabella's monthly report. It would be this afternoon then, he decided, and, he mused as he sucked on a lemon drop, it would get Minerva off his back.

* * *

In Dover, Sirius was holding tightly to Harry's hand as he introduced the boy to his first toy shop, he didn't want to lose track of Harry in the crowds. He need not have worried, Harry made no move to leave his side, he seemed completely content to look, not making a single move to touch anything, it was almost as if he didn't even consider it possible that Sirius was actually going to buy him something.

Glancing down at his godson's rapt expression as he drunk in the sight of all the toys Sirius decided that he would select some simple things for Harry, to get the boy accustomed to the idea he was being bought toys, before he let Harry choose a few items. With that in mind he picked up a colouring book and a pack of crayons, followed by a box of travel games, he would let Harry choose a cuddly toy and a couple of books, they couldn't take anything more in the rucksack. He lead Harry over to the far wall of the shop, which was filled with shelf upon shelf of cuddly toys, a smile on his face as he watched his godson's eyes rove over the toys, feeling flickers of excitement and wonder over the bond as the boy stared at them.

"Which one do you want?"

Harry's mouth fell open and he gazed up at his godfather in complete and utter shock. Surely he hadn't heard that correctly, surely Padfoot hadn't actually asked him to choose a toy, he was a freak and a burden, he never got toys! He had never been allowed to even touch Dudley's broken things, let alone any of the new ones; it had been one of the rules. But, Padfoot didn't seem to know about the rules, or he didn't obey them. He flinched as his godfather bent down and lifted him up, but he soon relaxed as he realised Padfoot wasn't going to hit him, instead he was showing him the toys that were on the higher shelves.

"Do you like any of these pup?" His godfather asked and Harry couldn't believe his ears, he had been perfectly happy just looking, however Padfoot hadn't lied to him, so perhaps he was actually going to get one. "I get a toy?" He whispered, not able to believe it but his godfather just nodded, "Which one puppy?" he asked again.

Harry looked over at all the numerous toys and a small grey wolf with bright blue eyes caught his eyes and shyly he pointed towards it, still not really expecting Padfoot to get it for him, but his godfather just smiled at him and plucked the wolf from the shelf, handing it to Harry. Incredulously he held it, his fingers sinking into the soft fur, "Mine?"

"Yours," Sirius confirmed, "Now what are you going to call him?"

Harry tilted his head considering, "Moony," he finally decided. It was a name that had swum up from deep within his memory and he didn't quite know where it came from, almost certainly from before the Dursleys although he couldn't really remember his life from before, but he knew the name belonged to a wolf and he decided that it would do for his wolf. His attention was fixed firmly on his first toy, so he missed his godfather's start of surprise at the name. Sirius was surprised he had managed to remember the name, much less associate it with a wolf. They had never mentioned Remus's furry little problem in front of Harry and at that age he shouldn't have remembered it even if they had. How then had Harry known the name belonged to a wolf?

His attention was pulled back to his godson as Harry nestled against him murmuring his thanks. "You're welcome pup, now let's go and buy you a couple of books before we get on the boat."

Harry's eyes widened and he was sure Padfoot had made a mistake. Being given Moony was already so much more than he had ever expected but books as well, that couldn't be right. It was then he noticed the colouring book, crayons and box of games that Sirius was already holding, were those for him as well? He felt guilt fill him, these toys were new and would cost a lot and he was being a burden and he knew that was bad, Aunt Petunia had always told him he was a burden before she shut him in his cupboard. "You don't have to get me any books Padfoot," he said quietly.

"I know I don't puppy," Sirius replied gently, "But I want to get you some, it doesn't look like your Aunt and Uncle ever bought you anything." Harry nodded.

"I'm a freak and a burden and freaks don't deserve toys." He recited with the air of someone stating a fact that is so obvious they don't understand why people didn't know about it. Sirius was appalled, how could anyone teach a little boy that they were a freak? "You are not a freak pup and you definitely deserve toys," he stated fiercely, tightening his hold on his godson and hugging the small boy.

"I do?" The confusion in his voice was awful to hear and Sirius felt his heart shatter.

"Yes puppy, yes. Your Aunt and Uncle were being bad when they told you that you didn't. They were lying." Harry nodded slowly when he stopped speaking.

"So I'm not a burden," a nod from Sirius, "or a freak," another nod, "or a del-in-qui-et," he finished and his godfather nodded.

"You are none of those things and they lied when they told you that you were. You are my godson, my child and I love you very, very much." A grin gradually grew on Harry's face and the little boy beamed up at him, joy written plainly on his features and flowing through the bond. Sirius took his hand again and led him over to the bookcase and with a bit of help Harry chose two books, The Adventures of Paddington Bear and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sirius didn't have much knowledge of muggle childrens literature but according to Harry the second book was the book they would be reading in his class after Christmas and if either was too hard he supposed that he could always read them to his godson.

Once everything had been paid for, his godson's eye had widened at the total, and placed into Harry's backpack they only had an hour and a half until their ferry left, and it was over a mile to the docks. Sirius knew at Harry's age that was a reasonably long distance to walk, so once they were out of the toyshop and they were not hemmed in by people and shelves he bent down so he was nearer Harry's level. "Would you like a ride on my shoulders pup?"

Harry considered the offer for approximately one second before nodding enthusiastically. Sirius grinned at him then he scooped him up, hoisting his godson up onto his shoulders. Harry laughed aloud in his delight as he was swung up then settled in place, his eyes roving around, looking at everything from this new, higher level. "Hold on," Sirius warned as he started walking, it would probably take about half an hour to reach the docks, but they would then only have to wait an hour before they were heading off British soil. He felt his spirits rise, they were nearly away and Harry was safe and happy; there wasn't much else he could ask for.

* * *

Hi all, here is the next chapter and I am updating as promised. There is a fairly good chance that the updates will slow down now, I've just gone back to school and I am doing five A-Levels so I am going to be quite busy so I won't have much time to write, therefore updates are going to be every 1-2 weeks for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this, and yes there will be a stuffed stag later but they aren't that common so it will be a christmas present as Sirius will have to order one. Please review and thank you to all who have reviewed.


	8. Chapter 7

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 7**

'Boarding for the 11:03 ferry to Calais, France is now open." The speakers crackled as the announcement filled the lounge where passengers waited for their boat to arrive. Sirius glanced up, that was their ferry and he was relieved it had finally arrived. They had gone through passport control and customs, a nervous affair for him but it had gone off without a hitch and now he was impatient to get off British soil.

Harry on the other hand had been completely unaffected by the tenseness of his godfather, he had been filled with nothing but bubbly excitement and wonder ever since they had entered the terminal. The lounge they were sitting in overlooked the port and the ocean and Harry had spent the last half hour with his face pressed up against the glass watching the boats come and go as he saw the sea for the first time.

Sirius reached over and tapped his godson's shoulder, bringing the child's attention back to him. Instantly Harry glanced up, fear flickering though the bond and internally Sirius cursed those damned Dursleys and what they had done to make his godson so afraid, "Our ferry is here pup and we need to get on." The fear vanished to be replaced by excitement and Harry immediately stood, his rucksack firmly on his back, his eyes pleading for his godfather to hurry. Sirius chuckled and clambered to his feet, holding out his hand for the small boy to take, the other carrying the suitcase.

Harry's excitement was infectious and that made it a little easier for Sirius to relax and enjoy the moment. Nerves and anticipation rose with every step he took towards the boat, they would not be out of danger completely once they were in France but a large part would be gone. However if they were to escape without attracting notice he had to prevent the tension he felt from showing and Harry made that easier. He bounced along, his excitement obvious and completely genuine, unconsciously tugging at his godfather's hand as he moved and watching him Sirius could forget some of his worry and as he enjoyed seeing his godson so happy and carefree.

Once they had boarded the ferry Harry headed straight for the window and stared out at the waves lapping against the hull far below. Seeing the longing and amazement in the child's eyes an idea came to Sirius and he was sure it would make his godson happy, "Once the boat leaves we will be able to go up onto the deck, would you like to do that?"

Harry's eyes grew as big as saucers and he nodded, "Yes please Padfoot," Sirius smiled down at him before guiding the boy to a seat while they waited for the boat to depart.

* * *

Harry looked round the interior of the ferry in amazement; he had never had such a good day in his life. He hadn't be hit, he had been hugged, he had been given a breakfast so large it contained more food than his Aunt would give him in a day, he had been bought toys, seen the sea, he was going on a boat, Padfoot was still with him and had told him that he loved him. He didn't quite understand what that meant, he knew it was good and as such had only been given to Dudley and it was something mummies and daddies said to their children. That meant Padfoot was like a daddy then.

He decided he liked that idea. He had always wanted a daddy, he had known his mummy was dead but Aunt Petunia had never said anything about his daddy so he had hoped his daddy was still alive and would come and get him. That was why he thought Padfoot was his daddy at first but now he knew that they were both dead he knew he would never have them. But he did have Padfoot now, he knew he was his godfather and although he didn't know what that was he hoped it meant Padfoot would be like his daddy even though he wasn't really.

He glanced up at his godfather to find Padfoot watching him, a smile on his face. "What is it pup?" he asked softly. Padfoot had asked the question first so it must be alright to ask one of his own. "Are you going to be like my daddy?"

Padfoot reached out for him and placed him on his lap, hugging him tightly, "Yes puppy. I can't replace James but I love you and will care for you like he would." Harry snuggled deeper into Padfoot's arms, Padfoot wasn't his daddy but he was as good as one and he was completely content with that. It didn't stop him from missing his mummy and daddy though. With that thought he knew he was being bad, Aunt Petunia had said he was ungrateful whenever he missed them and Padfoot had done so much more for him so he was being extremely ungrateful, particularly when Padfoot had just said he would be like his daddy.

Hot tears welled up, he was being bad when Padfoot had been so kind to him. Why did he have bad thoughts? He wanted to be good so Padfoot would continue to love him and so he could be nice to Padfoot but instead he couldn't stop himself from being bad. He tried to push the tears down, he wasn't going to cry but a small sniffle escaped.

Instantly Sirius looked down, concern filling him as he gazed at the small boy sitting in his lap. He had thought Harry was happy, and he knew his godson had been happy no more than a few minutes ago. Looking at the child now it was obvious Harry was trying very hard not to cry. He tightened his arms, rocking Harry gently and murmuring words of comfort.

For Harry that made it worse. He was being bad but Padfoot was comforting him. It wasn't right, he didn't deserve the comfort Padfoot was giving him. It broke through his restraints and tears began to slide down his face. "Shh pup, it's alright, I'm here, it's alright," Sirius murmured over and over again. Harry hid his face in his godfather's shirt trying to hide. He kept on being bad and he couldn't stop himself and Padfoot was being nothing but nice. His tears increased and he refused to raise his head.

Sirius was becoming increasingly worried, Harry wasn't calming down and wasn't responding to the comfort in any way. He could feel how upset his godson was but he still had no idea what was wrong. He could feel wetness seeping through his shirt, clear evidence Harry was still crying. "What's wrong puppy?" he asked gently, still holding the child close.

The tears were slowing but Harry didn't move his head from the position against his chest. "I being bad," came the muffled reply.

"How are you being bad pup?" Sirius asked softly, he didn't think that Harry had done anything that could be constituted as bad so far and he was now fairly sure Harry had broken one of his relatives' ridiculous and awful rules and he wouldn't be able to sort it out until he knew precisely what normal childish thing counted as an offense.

"I'm ungrateful," Harry didn't add the freak that usually accompanied the statement, Padfoot had told him that he wasn't a freak and he didn't want to make Padfoot any madder than he was already going to be.

"How are you ungrateful?" Padfoot's next question surprised him and Harry lifted his head. Usually the answer he had just given would see him sent to his cupboard, his Aunt never asked why he was ungrateful, she was usually the one who told him why or he had broken a rule in her hearing. But Padfoot didn't seem to know about the rules and those he did know about he promptly told Harry they were not rules with him. But still being ungrateful, particularly for this reason was a bad offence that would give him a day in his cupboard at least. He was sure to be punished but he couldn't disobey an order.

"I miss mummy and daddy," he whispered.

Sirius felt disgust well up inside him, of all the things that could be bad or ungrateful, missing his parents should not have been one. Harry should never, ever have been told it was. "That is not being ungrateful," he said, his voice strained, "That is completely natural and you are not being ungrateful in any way because you miss them. They were your parents puppy, of course you miss them," his voice was much softer now, "I miss them too and it is not bad to miss them."

"Really?"

"Really," Sirius promised as he gently lifted Harry's head with one hand, wiping the remaining tears away with his fingers, and when he was done he softly kissed the child's forehead and cuddled him close.

Harry smiled and burrowed deeper into his godfather's hold. He hadn't been bad after all. It was very different staying with Padfoot but he had already decided it was far far better than living with his Aunt and Uncle. He was allowed to miss his parents, Padfoot was like a daddy and he didn't have to do chores. Dudley might have had a lot of toys and he used to wish he would be given toys too but he didn't care about that now, he had something much better than the most wonderful toy in the world, he had Padfoot. And as his godfather continued to hold him Harry knew that being wrapped Padfoot's arms was the best place to be in the entire world.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore felt the first faint twinges of unease as he turned the corner into Privet Drive and first caught sight of Number 4. Few people knew, but Dumbledore had the ability to see magic, it was one aspect that helped him portray his seeming omniscience, and he could see immediately that the blood wards were fading. They were nearly at the level he had first seen them, before Petunia had accepted Harry into her home.

He pushed that observation away, there couldn't be anything wrong, very little was known about Blood Wards after all. Perhaps the surge in strength he had seen that morning had just been the magic responding to Harry, or maybe they only came up to full strength when there was a threat. There was no reason to suspect that anything was wrong. But still, his pace quickened almost involuntarily as he covered the last few meters to the door of Number 4 and he knocked on the door slightly more sharply than he had originally intended.

There was a slight delay then the door was yanked open by a thin woman, dressed impeccably in the latest fashions for a woman her age. Dumbledore assumed that this must be Petunia, he had never actually met the woman but he saw no reason for anyone else to have answered the door, although he had to admit he would have never guessed this woman was Lily's sister, Petunia had no resemblance to her sister whatsoever. The woman's face blanched and her eyes widened as she took in the figure of Albus Dumbledore standing resplendent in full wizard robes on her nice normal doorstep, not to mention those particular robes were also mauve and decorated with large silver stars.

"What do you want?" she hissed. "I want nothing to do with any of your freakish world." Inwardly Dumbledore frowned, it was obvious she had not got over her bitterness, if anything it had become worse, but he forced a smile onto his face and pushed the thought away.

"I merely desire to check on Harry," He said, allowing his eyes to twinkle as he spoke with a voice of pure reasonableness. Petunia sniffed disdainfully.

"You can't."

"My dear lady I'm afraid I must insist. It is a matter of the utmost importance." Without pausing for a reply he swept past her and into the house, ignoring her as she closed the door with a snap.

"You can't check on him so I would prefer it if you left my house immediately," Her voice was so sharp it would have curdled new milk.

"I must check on Harry," Dumbledore explained, a note of impatience creeping into his voice, "If you would kindly show me where he is, I can leave your home as so as possible."

With a glower on her features Petunia turned so she was facing the wizard directly. "You can't check on him because he isn't here," she said crisply "Now if you would leave." Understanding dawned, Harry would be a muggle primary school of course, he wouldn't be able to check on the boy until the afternoon classes had ended and he returned.

"I apologise for the misunderstanding, but I am happy to wait until he returns from school." He moved towards the sitting room with the intention of making himself at home for an hour or so.

"That won't make any difference, the boy isn't at school."

"Then where is he?" Dumbledore spoke more sharply than he intended and she shrank back at the tone but still managed to speak with an uncaring tone as she replied.

"I haven't the faintest idea. He wasn't in his cupboard this morning when I went to wake him, he's vanished and I say good riddance, we never wanted that freak to darken our doorstep in the first place and if you return him, he is going straight to an orphanage."

Dumbledore didn't hear the second part of the sentence, his mind was firmly fixed on the two words, 'he's vanished'. Somehow Harry had disappeared from behind all his protections. He felt a coldness settle on his chest. "What do you mean?" For the first time his voice lost some of its self assured confidence. Petunia merely regarded him disdainfully.

"He's gone. He wasn't there this morning and the door was open even though I bolted it last night. He's vanished into thin air and frankly I couldn't be happier. Good day to you." She turned her back on him and swept proudly out of the room closing the kitchen door firmly behind her.

Albus stood in the hallway completely shocked. He didn't even register when Petunia left, his whole being was focussed on the words she had spoken. Harry was gone, vanished and there was no way the little boy would have been able to manage that by himself. It couldn't be true, it wasn't possible but Petunia had not been lying, he had scanned her mind and seen the truth for himself but it was impossible, it couldn't have happened.

'But', a very nasty little voice in the back of his mind brought him up short, 'You would have said once that escaping Azkaban was impossible'.

Had Black taken Harry? It seemed too odd to be a coincidence, Black had vanished without a trace and now Harry appeared to have done the same thing only a week after Black had escaped. That thought frightened him, if Harry was in Black's hands there was no telling what could happen, or if Harry was even alive. He clamped down on the rising panic and his wand swept in a complex motion as he sent out detection spell after detection spell. He found himself holding his breath as the results came back.

There were faint traces of magic in the house but they were so slight there was no way to discern who had cast the magic, or it could quite simply be residual signs from various outbursts of accidental magic. There certainly was no evidence of a recent large burst which could have caused the disappearance or any evidence of anyone extracting Harry with magic. That thought gave him a tiny shred of hope as he waited for the other results, maybe Black hadn't been here either. 'His cell had no traces of magic either,' the small voice spoke up again as he waited for the information from the wards. The information he received from them was disquieting, somebody had crossed them at around 10pm the previous night and they had started to collapse just after 3am and a few minutes after somebody had left the house and Harry had been with them. Ever since then the wards had been slowly but steadily collapsing.

Keeping a sharp grip on his emotions, it would do no good staying here and he could not allow him to give up hope or panic he left the house and apparated back to Hogwarts, he would have to use everything he had at his disposal to find the boy so he could fulfil his destiny and the Wizarding World would be saved. He could only pray he would be in time and that Harry, wherever he was, was not already dead.

Little did he know that Harry was the happiest he had ever been in his life as he sat in his godfather's lap, completely content as he read one of his new books or that the man holding him close would do everything in his power to keep Harry safe, and to love and protect him.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this, and I should update in a week or so.

I would appreciate it if you could vote on the poll regarding this story on my profile, thanks to those who already have, and thanks to all those who have reviewed!


	9. Chapter 8

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 8**

Sirius sat contentedly in the train, a smile on his face as he watched his godson. They had reached France right on schedule; Harry's excitement which had dimmed during the ungrateful conversation, restored to full glory upon going on deck and arriving in France. They passed safely through customs and Sirius had felt some of the weight he had been carrying since escaping Azkaban lift, they had made it and barring anything stupid happening they would be safe for the time being.

They headed to the nearest train station but when Sirius had seen the train he had intended to get on he had been struck suddenly by a wave of foreboding. It had been a wave so strong that it had made him pause and warnings had started to scream in his mind. Disconcerted he had decided that they would go and have lunch before getting on the next train which left an hour after the first. As soon as the decision had been made the warnings receded somewhat but they only vanished after the train had left.

The incident had been more than a little odd but Sirius was not going to take any chances when it came to his godson and anything that helped him protect Harry he would welcome with open arms. The second train had come with absolutely no misgivings and they had boarded it quite happily, although Sirius knew it would be a six hour journey to travel to the South of France where the chateaux was located.

The journey so far had been pleasant, Harry had sat on his lap whilst he started to read Paddington Bear, and the child had read one chapter before he had almost reverently placed the book back into his backpack before withdrawing the colouring book and crayons, settling down with the first picture. Sirius couldn't help but watch Harry, joy filling him as he saw and felt the happiness that surrounded his godson.

* * *

Harry's movements were slowing as the late night and the excitement of the day finally caught up with him. Very carefully he placed the crayons back in their packet, making sure they were in the correct order before closing the lid. He also treated his colouring book with the same care, gently closing the book before placing each item back in the backpack with exquisite care. The small rucksack contained all the toys he owned in the entire world and he was not going to do anything to damage them. He had been wary of colouring in the book until Padfoot had reassured him it was alright and even then he had tried his hardest to make it as neat as possible.

Yawning quietly he extracted Moony and hugged the small wolf to his chest. He was really very sleepy but he wondered whether Padfoot would mind if he went to sleep on his lap. Padfoot had been very nice and had allowed him to sit on his lap the entire journey in the train and he allowed Harry to sleep with him last night but was it alright to go to sleep in his lap? Harry wanted the answer to be yes, he felt very safe when Padfoot held him and he was a bit scared of going to sleep on the train. He had never been on a train before, it was very exciting but it also went very fast and it make a strange clackity noise and that was little scary. Also everyone else was speaking a strange language and he couldn't understand it. Padfoot could and he had told Harry that it was called French and he would soon be able to speak it too but it still worried him. He wasn't sure he could go to sleep without Padfoot and he was really very sleepy.

He yawned again but this time the low sound attracted Sirius's attention. He glanced down, his expression gentle as he saw that Harry's eyelids were drooping and that the boy was struggling to stay awake. "Tired puppy?" he asked softly, and a yawn was the only response. Chuckling quietly he wrapped his arms around Harry, gently pulling his godson closer so the boy was resting against his chest. Harry snuggled up against him but remembering he had yet to ask permission he raised his head slightly,

"C'n I sweep in y'lap Pa'foo'?" His voice was quiet, barely more than a sleepy murmur but Sirius understood.

"Course you can puppy," he replied tenderly.

Satisfied he wasn't breaking any rules or doing anything bad Harry cuddled up against Sirius, his wolf clutched in his arms and his head half buried in his godfather's shirt. He closed his eyes, feeling Padfoot's strong arms holding him tightly, but still with the same gentleness that a parent has when holding their child. He was completely safe and he knew without a doubt when Padfoot was holding him that he was loved. It was the best feeling in the world.

Sirius pressed a soft kiss into his godson's messy hair before he started to quietly sing an old lullaby Lily had always used to sing to Harry when he was a baby. The quiet melody soothed Harry and he relaxed completely and as he drifted off a woman's clear voice seemed to join with Padfoot's deep one as he sung. The soft sounds of the two voices and the comforting warmth of Padfoot's arms were the last things he was aware of as he slipped into sleep.

Sirius smiled and let the lullaby trail away as he felt his godson slip into sleep, snuggled up against him. It warmed his heart to see the level of trust Harry already had in him and it proved to him without a doubt that he was doing exactly the right thing, even though his godson had been with him for such a short time there was already a major difference.

One hand came up and he started to softly stroke the child's back, his smile growing as he felt Harry relax further. He knew they would still have to travel for several hours before they reached their stop but he knew he would happily watch Harry sleep for hours. James had been the same, and he felt a pang of hurt in his heart, when Harry had been a baby James had always wanted to get home to him and he had spent hours just watching Harry sleep. At the time he hadn't understood how James had managed that, at Hogwarts they had both been hyperactive, the mere idea of sitting still had been foreign and he had teased James mercilessly once Harry had been born.

But watching Harry now, feeling the little boy cuddled against him as he slept, Sirius knew precisely why James had always rushed home and why he could sit for hours while Harry slept, Sirius could watch Harry for hours and never get tired. He gently kissed the small head and as he looked back up he felt his eyes fill with tears. 'I'll take good care of him Prongs' he promised, 'And I know you're probably laughing at me right now, you should be after all the times I teased you, but I'm not going to betray your trust, especially when it comes to Harry. He's far too precious and special for me to risk anything."

He sat there for several minutes just savouring the sensation of holding Harry whilst he slept. It felt so good to know that his godson was as safe as possible now and that the child was already beginning to trust him, even though he had been treated abysmally by those bastards of relatives.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the crackle of the speakers, "Madames et Monsieurs, we regret to inform you that our arrival in Marseilles is delayed by thirty minutes due to a security search of the train before us. Thank you for your understanding."

Sirius shook off his musings quickly, the previous train had been searched? He was suddenly very glad that he had taken the later train, although the documents he was carrying were made by magic and would not be detected as a forgery, if they were doing a detailed check, they would soon realise that there was no Patrick Evans and his son Ben Evans, and awkward questions would have been asked. He would probably have been able to bluff his way through, a few confundus's and oblivates but still it was a situation he did not desire to be in.

Suddenly the memory of the warning he had received in the station flashed into his mind. Something had told him not to get on that train, but how? He wasn't a seer, he knew that much, if you had the gift of prophecy it would appear before you matured magically, and he, like most wizards had matured shortly after he turned seventeen and he had never shown any signs of prophecy. Not that the warning had been a prophecy exactly, more like his subconsciousness warning him about a danger, but still it didn't answer the question of how he was being warned.

He mulled it over in his mind for a minute, only to be distracted by a sudden flash of fear over the bond. Glancing down he could see that Harry's face was screwed up tightly and he could feel the boy beginning to shake. A nightmare. All thoughts about the strange warnings vanished as his attention began fixed fully on his godson. He held Harry as tightly as he could, stroking his fingers through the messy hair, trying to calm him. "It's alright puppy, I'm here, you're safe," he murmured over and over again.

It didn't make a difference, Harry's trembling intensified until shudders were running throughout his entire body, Sirius knew he would have been thrashing if he hadn't been holding his godson so tightly. Then came the worst part, quiet, terrified pleading escaped Harry's lips, "Please Uncle Vernon, please," he whimpered, "Not the belt, I'll be good, please, please don't hit me."

A knife lanced into Sirius's heart, shattering it into a thousand pieces. That bastard of a muggle had dared to raise his hand to his godson, to his child. They had hurt Harry so badly, they had abused him and taunted him, taught him that he was worthless. No child deserved that, but least of all his sweet, wonderful godson. He pushed the pain away from his heart, he could rant and rage in private but right now Harry needed him and that would always take priority.

He started to shake the child gently, "It's just a dream puppy, come on pup, just wake up. It going to be okay I promise," After several more agonising moments which seemed so much longer to Sirius as he saw and felt the fear that gripped his godson, Harry's eyes snapped open.

Harry blinked, confused. Where was he? He knew he wasn't in his cupboard or in the house but Uncle Vernon had been hitting him with the belt. Fear was coursing through him and he started to shiver, his uncle never left halfway through a punishment, had he done something freaky then? If he had he knew he was going to be punished when he got back. "Shh pup, you're safe and he won't hurt you ever again," a soft voice murmured and suddenly memory flooded back. He was with Padfoot who had come and taken him away and he was safe.

He burrowed deeper into Padfoot, clinging to him like his life depended on it, seeking the comfort and security he could find in Padfoot's presence. He felt the arms holding him tighten and the soft velvet voice of his godfather murmured reassurances and comfort as slowly the fear of the nightmare drained away.

Eventually he sat up, although he stayed firmly in Padfoot's lap, "Sorry," he whispered, he knew he was not supposed to have nightmares, much less wake anyone up because of one. He didn't really know if he had woken Padfoot but he thought it was better to say sorry before he got into any more trouble. "You don't need to be sorry for having a nightmare puppy," Padfoot said gently. Wide emerald eyes looked up, shocked.

"I don't?" Harry was confused. Why didn't Padfoot follow any of the rules? His aunt and uncle had made it very clear that he was to follow the rules all the time and they had always punished him when he broke them but Padfoot ignored them and he couldn't work out why. Did Padfoot think the rules were bad or did he just have his own rules? He nodded to himself, that would be it, Padfoot would have his own rules which were different to the Dursley's ones, however he was going to follow each rule the Dursleys had given him until Padfoot told him it wasn't a rule.

"You will never have to be sorry for having a nightmare puppy, or waking me up," Harry smiled shyly up at him and then burrowed deeper into his godfather's lap. Now his fear had passed and he understood about the rules he realised that he was still very tired and Padfoot was still holding him gently. He felt Padfoot's fingers stroke tenderly through his hair and he leaned into the comforting touch, eyelids drooping shut as he succumbed to the tiredness that filled his body.

Sirius relaxed, the tension melting out of his body as he saw that Harry had slipped back into peaceful, untroubled sleep. He only wished that he would be able to sleep so easily. Nightmares haunted him, the previous night had been the first night he had slept free of nightmares since Azkaban and he wasn't fool enough to think that they would be gone now. The only reason the nightmares had stayed away was because he had only had about an hour and half, maybe two hours of sleep that night, not long enough for them to start infesting his mind. His expression darkened slightly as he thought of that awful place, the chill, the screams and above all the dementors and the memories they dredged up from the depths of his soul.

He forced his mind away from those dark thoughts and he swore to himself that, no matter how hard the nightmares would be, he would not let Harry see he was hurting, he would be as strong as he had to be, for his godson, for Harry. That child was all he lived for and he was not going to fail him again.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore paced his office, his movements becoming increasingly frantic. Harry was missing, and without the boy they would not be able to defeat Voldemort, and when he returned, it was only a matter of time, the whole of the Wizarding World would be plunged into a bloodbath that would destroy them. But his more immediate problem was finding the boy.

For a moment he debated the idea of releasing the news to the public but he discarded the idead almost instantly, releasing such information would only cause a panic and in the chaos and confusion it would be easier for Black to slip through the net, not to mention it would alert him and then he would either kill the boy or go to ground and neither situation would be good. No, he needed Harry to stay alive for as long as possible and the only way to do that would be to ensure Black was not aware he was being hunted.

He was beginning to think that Black had not killed the boy, after all why would he bother to abduct the boy, especially as the information from the wards indicated that Harry had gone willingly, when he could have easily killed him in his Aunt's house. No, his mind was telling him that Black needed Harry alive, although for what he did not know, then a frightening possibility occurred to him, what if Black brought Harry up Dark and encouraged him to join Voldemort instead of killing him? That would doom the Wizarding World as surely as killing the boy would.

He needed to find them and he needed to do it soon and he knew he wouldn't be able to do it alone, he had too many responsibilities, what with Hogwarts and the Ministry, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he needed help, but he also needed it to be discreet. With that thought in mind he grabbed a pinch of floo powder, it was time to visit his old friend Alastor Moody. Within the hour small, very carefully selected Hit Wizard teams would be checking every property belonging to the Blacks. They were not going to let him escape.

* * *

AN Hi all, hope you enjoyed this and thank you for all the interest in this story and all the reviews, they make writing a lot easier. Anyway, check out the poll if you haven't already, see you soon and please review!


	10. Chapter 9

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 9**

The train pulled into the station at Marseilles and Sirius exited the train, suitcase in one hand, Harry balanced on his hip and held in place by his other hand. The child had woken up from his nap an hour or so earlier and since then had been enthralled by the view from the window, the houses, towns, landscape and even the trees were so different from what he had seen, what he had known and Sirius had also spent an enjoyable time watching the joy and amazement on his godson's face, knowing that he had finally given the child something to enjoy after too many years without being able to have fun, to enjoy things.

The next step was to find a small alley that was out of the way and that nobody came into and to apparate to the chateaux where they would stay whilst he would try to implement the next stages of the plan, namely buying a house and getting a job and getting Harry into the appropriate muggle education, he certainly wasn't the right person to teach Harry how to read and write and do maths. Moony had always been the studious one, even though both he and James had been very clever, he was fairly sure he wasn't a good teacher and that the professionals would do a better job. Not to mention Lily had wanted her son to have a muggle education so he could learn about both worlds.

He had just located a likely looking alley when suddenly warnings flared up inside his brain. Shocked he immediately froze, his mind flashing back to the warning he had received in the station and what he had subsequently found out about the train. Maybe it was the same situation and if he was to apparate now he would be walking into danger. Even if the warning that was still pulsing inside his mind was not correct he quickly decided he was not going to take the chance. He knew he was being paranoid, but he wouldn't risk Harry's safety, he wasn't going to do anything that might result in the boy being sent back to the bastards he called his Aunt and Uncle.

All that flashed through his mind in under a second and before his godson had even really registered that Sirius had stopped the animagus was already moving once again. It was nearly supper time, he had been planning to eat in the chateaux but they could eat in Marseilles just as easily and maybe in an hour or so the danger would have passed, and even if it hadn't he was sure he would be able to get a hotel room for one night at least.

A short walk later and they were sitting in a small bar which overlooked the marina. Harry was happily watching the boats sail back and forth and Sirius was introducing the boy to his first French as he taught his godson the names for the items on the menu and the colours of the boats he was watching avidly.

The meal was an enjoyable one although Sirius had almost choked when Harry had been so surprised that he was getting supper as well, but once he had reassured his godson it was alright to eat the food the meal had gone extremely well and he was finally getting the child to open up a bit more, about what he liked and disliked although it saddened him that the opinions were stilted and he only offered information when prompted heavily.

Just over an hour later the meal was finished and the bills were paid, and Sirius thought that it would be a good time to see if it was safe to apparate to the chateaux once more. He scooped the sleepy child up into his arms and he couldn't help but smile as he felt Harry snuggle closer, resting his head against his shoulder, eyes fluttering closed.

* * *

Managing somehow to juggle the remaining baggage in his one free hand he manoeuvred his way through the crowds, searching for the alley he had found when he came out of the station. Finding it once more, he headed down it, his mind alert for any more of the strange warnings that had flashed through his mind on the two previous occasions. Finding nothing, he tightened his grip on his godson, making sure that he was holding the boy securely; he twisted on the spot, apparating to the Chateaux Noire.

Once the nauseating feeling of apparition had worn off he found himself standing at the entrance to Chateaux Noire, when he felt Harry bury his head in his shoulder and the child's whole body was trembling. "Shhh puppy, it's alright now, it's over," he murmured as he gently rubbed his godson's back. Slowly the shivers ceased and Harry relaxed in his arms, yawning softly. Sirius smiled tenderly down at the young boy before scanning the surroundings.

He saw quickly that nothing appeared out of place and the chateaux still resembled the pretentious castle he could remember from his childhood, albeit a little grimier, especially on the outside. With a brisk step, still alert to any possible danger, he strode up to the castle doors, laying his hand on the embossed metal plate. He could feel the magic of the house pooling at his touch, the last remaining male Black and a rush of magic swept through him as the house recognised its master and the wards snapped up. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, with the wards up it would take a lot of firepower and several days for the Ministry to bring them down and that at least would give him enough time to escape and get to safety if they ever came knocking and whilst they were up they were almost as protected as it was possible to be magically.

The doors slowly swung open and he stepped into the hall, the Chateaux always been the nicest of the Black Family homes, instead of the dark greens and silvers that covered the places such as his childhood home, the Chateaux was decorated in a mixture of silver, light greens and creams. There were still Slytherin overtones but he had to admit it was a lot nicer than all the other homes.

Ignoring the ornate staircases and the myriad of function rooms that extended off the hallway he headed for the kitchens, he would need help if he could get it and he had always thought fondly of the house elves that lived here, they had always been kind to him and he had been kind to them in return and he hoped they would still be around. A house elf would be invaluable if he was going to survive the next few years until Harry was old enough to go to Hogwarts.

He descended the back staircase and he soon reached the small door that opened into the kitchens. Stooping carefully, so not to jostle Harry who was nearly asleep, snuggled in his arms; he fumbled for the latch, his fingers finding it eventually and pushed the door gently open. Light spilled into the dark stairwell and abruptly the quiet, household noises of brush against pot and the chatter of house elf voices cut off. Feeling slightly uncomfortable he stepped through the entrance only to be immediately confronted by the four house elves, determined expressions on their faces.

"Do not hurt the child Master Black!" The squeaky voice of Tarbu the Head Elf broke the sudden silence and Sirius could see their fear at having to go against their master but at the same time the determination to protect Harry.

Slowly he sat down, not making any sudden movements that could frighten them, he realised that they must have heard about his incarceration and the reasons behind it, and while he was pleased they wanted to protect his pup, at the moment it was an unnecessary complication he could have done without.

Harry shifted restlessly in his arms and instantly Sirius's attention, along with the four house elves snapped to the small boy. "It's alright puppy," he murmured, stroking the black hair, "I'm not going anywhere," There was a sleepy mumble from the six year old, "I promise puppy. They will not take you away from me." Emerald eyes peeked up to meet his own grey ones and Sirius smiled reassuringly before pressing a kiss onto Harry's forehead. A smile tugged at his godson's lips and the child turned, burying his face back into the security of his godfather's chest as Sirius tightened his arms, holding him close.

He watched the boy for a few more, precious moments before his eyes moved up to regard the house elves who had been his only friends in this house. To his utter surprise, each now wore looks of guilt on their faces and they appeared to be seconds away from punishing themselves. "We are sorry Master Sirius," He started as he noted the changed form of address, he had never managed to get them to call him just by his given name but after a lot of persuasion he had managed to get them to call him Master Sirius, something they could all manage without offending their sensibilities too much.

"We did not see that Magic would not allow you to harm your godson and that you love him too much to ever hurt him." Tarbu continued, shame written all over his features. Sirius let out a barely audible sigh of relief, they were the first allies he had in the magical world and they would be able to do things such as purchase supplies and objects anonymously, using a bank note. Suddenly the actual words Tarbu had spoken penetrated,

"What do you mean Magic would not allow me to harm him?" he demanded quietly. He saw shock flash across their features but this time it was Kitzy who spoke up,

"Master Sirius does not know of the bond?"

"I know about the bond," Sirius told them, confusion showing on his face, what on earth did the bond have to do with magic preventing him from ever harming his pup?

"It is a protection bond," Kitzy informed him, "The magic in the bond will not allow you to knowingly harm him and it will give you the tools to protect him." She paused, "We don't know any more, we can see the bond due to our magic but bonds of this kind are an ancient wizarding magik which we know very little about, we are sorry Master Sirius."

But the animagus just waved their apologies aside, deep in thought. He would never hurt Harry, he loved his godson so the fact that the bond would prevent him harming him didn't faze him in the slightest, it was unimportant, however the fact that it did other things apart from linking their emotions and allowing him to find him was very interesting. Thinking about it, he wondered if the strange premonitions he had received were the result of the bond warning him of danger, to help him keep his pup safe.

As that thought occurred to him, he wondered what had happened here to generate a warning, turning to the house elves, he asked quietly, "Has anything happened here in the last few hours that would have put either Harry or me in danger?"

Instantly the elves nodded, "Bad men came Master Sirius," they said, "They searched the house and they told us you were a bad man and that you were hurting Young Master Harry. They wanted to find you and take you away."

Fear flashed through him, they already knew he had Harry and they were searching for him, he swallowed hard, forcing the lump in his throat down. "Have you told them I am here?" he asked, voice strained, but immediately they shook their heads,

"We wanted to get the child to safety before we called them Master Sirius."

He let out a shaky breath, he was safe for the moment. The Aurors, or Dumbledore, he wasn't sure which, did not know he was here and the fact they had searched, not even an hour before and found it clean meant that he was safe here for some time yet, knowing the inefficiency of the magical world, they were unlikely to be back within a month and with the wards up he would have plenty of warning. However it rammed the point home that he would not be able to hide out in any of the old properties, they were all too well known and he could never hope to stay hidden for long, never mind the four years until they would be able to access Potter Manor. But still he needed to find a home in the muggle world and fast.

"Thank you," he said sincerely and they just nodded their appreciation, another habit it had taken him years to get them to develop, "However if they ever come and ask about me again I want you to tell them that I have never been here understood?" They all nodded again and a chorus of "Yes Master Sirius," sounded. Then Kitzy spoke up, she had always been the bravest of the elves,

"Is Master Sirius and the Young Master, not staying?" she asked. Sirius smiled down at her,

"We will for a little while but not permanently though, it wouldn't be safe for either of us," he glanced down at his godson, unconsciously drawing the little boy closer and holding him tightly against him. Kitzy frowned, "Where will you be staying Master Sirius?"

"In the Muggle world, I am unlikely to be found there, and with the aid of glamours I should be able to move around freely and give Harry the childhood he would not get if we were constantly hiding."

"Kitzy will help Master Sirius." The elf announced firmly, and when Sirius opened his mouth to protest she ploughed on regardless, "She will make the arrangements to purchase a small property and she will look after Master Sirius and the Young Master without alerting the muggles." She looked at him sternly and Sirius swallowed the objections, having a house-elf would be a huge help and as long as she stayed out of the way of Wizards and Muggles alike it should be fine.

"Thank you Kitzy, now I need a small house, in a small town in an area of France which does not get many tourists, magical or muggle please. You may use money from the Black Account to make the purchase and I would like the house to have two or three bedrooms and a garden where this little one is able to play safely." Then he turned his attention to the other three, "I would like you to prepare my old room and make it suitable for the two of us and if you have time around your other duties I would like you to help Kitzy as much as possible." They all nodded once more and popped away to carry out his instructions.

It was then Sirius realised that he was bone tired. Yawning, he clambered back to his feet, keeping Harry balanced carefully in his arms. His godson was sleeping peacefully and he thought the child had precisely the right idea. Smiling to himself, he made his way slowly up to his room, noting instantly that the elves had carried out their orders perfectly. The bedroom was completely clean, their luggage was piled neatly in one corner and two pairs of pyjamas were laid out on the bed. It was with a chuckle he noticed that the elves had not bothered to put up a second bed, seemingly realising that he was loath to let Harry go when he had only just found him. He also noticed that there was a small note on the bed saying that they would have breakfast ready after midday, and they advised both him and Harry to sleep well.

Still smiling, his deft fingers changed Harry into his pyjamas and settled him down into the bed, tucking him in gently. A small discontented sound escaped, evidently Harry disliked leaving the safety of his godfather's arms. Sirius smiled tenderly then stooped down, pressing a kiss onto the scarred forehead, "Love you puppy," he whispered before moving to change himself.

Barely a few minutes later he slipped under the covers, one arm reaching out and pulling Harry towards him, until the child was nestled against his side. His godson snuggled closer, burrowing into Sirius, small fingers clutching at the fabric. Sirius relaxed, holding Harry gently as he began to drift off, the previous night and the days running to reach Surrey finally catching up with him. "Goodnight little one," he whispered as the darkness claimed him.

* * *

Hi all, thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Those who read my other story will already know this, but I am moving to fortnightly updates, I have far too much work to manage anything else.

Anyway, please review and see you in two weeks!


	11. Chapter 10

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 10**

House elves really were wonderful creatures Sirius mused as he sat in the small room that had been set up as a sitting room, watching his godson play with some of the old toys that they had managed to find around the manor. They had only been here for a fornight but already Kitzy had found them a house in a small town in central France and she had managed to acquire all the necessary paperwork for them to appear as a normal muggle family, a father and son. They were due to move in during the next few days and Sirius was amazed everything had come together so quickly. It had only been a little more than three weeks since he had broken out of Azkaban but already he had rescued his godson, fled the country and almost finished up establishing their new lives.

"Padfoot?" He glanced down at the earnest face of his young godson, his attention distracted,

"Yes puppy?" he asked softly and Harry smiled shyly up at him,

"Could you tell me a mummy-daddy story please?" He looked up at Sirius, emerald eyes pleading and Sirius knew he was not going to be able to say no, not that this was something he would ever think of denying the child thankfully. "Did you put your toys away?" he asked and saw Harry nod immediately. Sirius knew he didn't really have to ask, the child took exquisite care of all his toys and today was no exception, he could see everything was back, neatly in their packaging and the packets were piled up neatly in a corner of the room, but he also thought it was a good idea to remind the child to keep things tidy, at least that way, when he got used to having things, hopefully he and his things would stay reasonably clean and tidy.

Nodding his approval he opened his arms and Harry scrambled up onto his lap, snuggling up against his chest, grinning shyly at the praise, even as little as it was. Once Harry was settled comfortably, he gazed up at his godfather, eyes full of excitement and love and Sirius couldn't help but cuddle the little boy closer, "A mummy-daddy story little one? Hmm, let me see, have I told you the one about when your daddy asked your mummy to marry him?" Harry shook his head, his eyes wide and shining with wonder as Sirius launched into the tale.

* * *

Sirius held Harry's hand tightly as the crossed the small street to reach their new house. They had apparated to the edge of town and walked in, hopefully no one, on the off chance that they found the trace would ever connect it with the small muggle family living across town. Looking at the property Sirius realised that Kitzy had done an outstanding job. The neighbourhood they were in was unremarkable, neither extremely rich or extremely poor and the house itself was perfect.

It was the last house in the row, backing out onto the fields behind. It had a simple two stories, and it appeared to be an old farmhouse that had been converted into a townhouse when the town had spread out far enough to reach it. It was constructed out of the local stone and there were white shutters by the windows. It was set at a slight angle to the road and a fence, overgrown with copious amounts of foliage, leaves and flowers, surrounded the gravel driveway, just big enough for a small car or a couple of motorbikes. You couldn't see it from the front but behind the house there was a large garden, with a large lawn for Harry to run around on and the remnants of an old orchard, stooping, bent, old apple, pear and peach trees that would be perfect for Harry to climb, and in the autumn he could pick the fruits.

The house was not large, not did it need to be. Containing three bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, study and bathroom it was the perfect size for their small family and Sirius knew it would not take long to redecorate to their tastes with the aid of magic. The other advantage was that Kitzy and the rest of the House elves had pooled their magic to erect several wards around the property. They were not traditional wards, no wizard would detect them but that did not mean that they were not effective, on the contrary, house elf magic was extremely strong and as most wizards tended to overlook it, it was an ideal defence.

There were three separate wards on the house, the first was similar to a notice-me-not ward, it didn't stop people from seeing the house but it made it seem unremarkable and encouraged them to forget it, and this was keyed to everyone, magical or muggle, unless you knew about the house and were looking for it, you were unlikely to find it. The second was an owl re-direct ward, any owl would be sent to a special letter box in the middle of nowhere where the elves would go through the mail, removing any spells and passing on the items that Sirius had requested. So far all that included were items ordered by his alter ego using mail order catalogues and anything addressed to Harry from Remus. Sirius was sure that the old wolf was going to be sending Harry gifts, although whether the child had received them was another matter altogether. The third and last was the most complicated of them all, it basically forced any wizard that the elves had not keyed into their ward to ignore the house and forget it ever existed, basically acting like a fidelus keyed to wizards and witches only, preventing them from ever finding the house, and forcibly removing them if they tried to enter.

"Hey puppy," he murmured softly, and instantly Harry's head snapped up to look at him, "This is our new home."

Harry's expression filled with wonder as he gazed at the small house and at the hints of a garden that were peeking over the walls and round the corner of the house. "Do you like it?" The child turned his head up towards Sirius once more and the grin spreading across his face and the excitement shining in his eyes was answer enough.

Sirius chuckled, the mirth spilling out of him in a way he could not have imagined back in Azkaban. There any form of laughter was impossible and he had thought that he would never be able to laugh again, but ever since he had rescued his precious godson laughter had gradually become part of his life once more, at least in the daytime. Forcibly he pushed that thought back. It did no good to dwell on the terrors and dreams that haunted him at night, those he would deal with when Harry wasn't awake, when he couldn't feel his pain.

A light tug on his sleeve pulled his thoughts away, "Is this all ours?" the small voice whispered and a smile broke out on Sirius's face without any other prompting.

"Yes puppy it is," he paused, looking teasingly thoughtful, "Now do you think we should go inside or look at all the gravel out here?"

"Inside please?" There was still a hesitancy about the reply and Sirius swore to himself that one day they would be rid of it, even as he felt a flash of anger at those damn Dursleys who had made his child so afraid. Not letting his thoughts show, he stooped down and in one swift movement he scooped Harry up into his arms, "Inside you said, now inside we shall go," he announced brightly and he was rewarded with a smile as Harry locked his arms in place around his neck and rested his head on his godfather's shoulder.

Inside, the house was just as perfect as the outside, pale walls and a mixture of wooden floors and thick carpets all in warm rich colours. All the furnishings were similar, sturdy wooden tables and chairs alongside deep cushioned sofas and thick pile rugs. Windows looked out over the garden, the lawn stretching away to the gnarled trees and the overgrown flowerbeds. It would never win any prizes for neatness but in the crazy mix of plants and shrubbery one thing was in absolutely no doubt, the whole garden was alive, brimming with energy and perfect for a young boy to explore and play in.

It was obvious that Kitzy had already been to the house and had endeavoured to make it a home. There were books stacked neatly on the shelves, crockery and food in the kitchen cupboards, Harry's toys divided between his bedroom and the sitting room, pictures on the walls and above the mantelpiece. There were not many but here and there, there were a few pictures of Harry and Sirius together (frozen so they would appear muggle), pictures the elves had managed to capture during their stay at Chateux Noire, and best of all, a few pictures from his Hogwarts days, showing James and Lily and the Marauders (minus Peter of course), that Kitzy had managed to extract from his bedroom in the Chateux and his bedroom back at Grimmauld Place.

He noticed that Harry was staring at the furnishings, a look of undisguised awe on his face and his wonder drifting in lazy arcs across the bond, and his mouth was hanging open. Chuckling softly Sirius reached out and gently tickled the child under the chin and instantly Harry's mouth snapped shut and he turned a slightly betrayed gaze up to his godfather.

Sirius just smiled "Your mouth was in danger of catching flies," he told his godson teasingly. Harry stared at him, wide eyed for several seconds, before clamping his mouth tightly shut. Sirius laughed gently and then he lightly kissed his child's forehead, "Now how about we go and explore upstairs, hmm?" Harry nodded eagerly, but he still seemed a little reluctant to open his mouth Sirius noticed, amused.

They climbed the small, rickety staircase to reach the next floor and the small hallway that led deeper into the house, a few doors branching off it, leading to the bedrooms. Sirius paused in front of a door with the sign 'Puppy's Room' attached to it then he lightly pushed it open, stepping into the room, Harry still balanced in his arms. "This is your room puppy," he told the boy quietly and he watched as Harry's eyes widened as he took in the room before him.

"All mine?" he whispered, hardly daring to believe it. He was actually being given a room, here in this house which was the complete opposite of his Aunt and Uncle's. He couldn't believe that Padfoot was doing so much for him, first he had been given meals and he had been allowed to sleep, then he had been given toys, he hadn't had to do chores, Padfoot hadn't hit him or shouted at him even once and above all Padfoot had been so so kind to him and _loved _and _wanted _him. It was more than he could have ever imagined back in his cupboard, and Padfoot was still here, holding him tightly.

He turned, burying his face in his Padfoot's shoulder, trying not to cry, "Thank you," he murmured, voice muffled against the fabric. Sirius sat down on the bed, shifting Harry so that his godson was sitting on his lap, cradled against his chest. He could feel Harry's mess of emotions bleeding across the bond and he knew he had to comfort his distraught godson.

He held Harry as tightly as he could, rocking the child back and forwards, murmuring reassurances and comfort, and sending reassuring waves of love over the bond. Eventually Harry stopped crying and he pulled away slightly so he could look up at Sirius, but Sirius could tell that there was something still bothering his godson. "What is it little one?" He asked softly, his fingers carding tenderly through the child's messy mop. Harry didn't answer for several long moments and just as he was beginning to wonder whether Harry would ever tell him the boy spoke up,

"Why?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Why what puppy?" Sirius inquired, his voice still incredibly gentle. Harry looked up at him and the confusion and pain in his emerald eyes was enough to make Sirius pause.

"Why are you so nice to me?" The small boy finally whispered and Sirius felt his heart break. He pulled Harry straight back into his embrace, snuggling the boy against his chest, and it eased his heart slightly when he felt his godson burrow deeper.

"Because I love you little one," he murmured around the lump in his throat, "I think of you as my own and I will always love and care for you."

Harry listened to the words, his confusion mounting further. He could not doubt the words, he could feel the man's love pulsing strongly around him and all of his godfather's actions had shown nothing but the love he had for his godson but Harry couldn't work out why. Why did Padfoot love him, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had shown him that he was unlovable and a freak even if Padfoot told him he wasn't one. He couldn't understand why Padfoot loved him when they didn't. He knew Padfoot was his godfather and that meant he was like his daddy but did that mean Padfoot was supposed to love him? He wasn't sure, but even if Padfoot was supposed to love him he couldn't work out why his Aunt and Uncle hadn't loved him, after all they were supposed to love him too weren't they?

He buried his face in Padfoot's shirt and he felt the arms holding him tighten. He could still feel Padfoot's love surrounding him, but now there was concern tingeing it around the edges. One of his godfather's hands started to softly stroke his back and he snuggled deeper into Padfoot's arms as he felt himself calm down and he began to realise that it didn't matter. He had Padfoot and Padfoot loved him, was like his daddy and he didn't need to know why, it was enough, more than enough that he did.

Sirius kissed the top of the child's head as he felt the last of the boy's anxiety leave him. He smiled slightly as he enjoyed the feeling of having Harry safe in his arms, with no worries about Voldemort or the Ministry to cloud their happiness. Just then, he heard the boy's tummy rumble and chuckling softly to himself he stood up, shifting the boy so that Harry was balanced on his hip, "Supper time I think," he suggested as they headed downstairs and he felt Harry nod against his shoulder as they entered the kitchen to discover what Kitzy was preparing.

* * *

Hi all, I know you weren't expecting an update for a few days but I'm flying out to Dubai tomorrow and I think I will be so jet lagged the next day that you'd never get your chapter and I'd be fighting of angry mobs, so here you are.

Hope you enjoyed this, updates should resume their usual schedule soon and please review!


	12. Chapter 11

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 11**

It was cold and the screams echoed off the bare walls. He stared at the bare walls of his cell, the darkness creeping in as he listened to the shrieks of his cousin in the cell next to him. Then he heard it, the quieting of the screams, the noise and madness dropping to nothing more than whimpers and whispers. A too familiar coldness swept over him and he knew what was coming.

Very very faintly in the back of his mind the screaming started, James, Lily, Peter, Harry, the explosion that had destroyed the street and sent him here. It was quiet at first, no more than the crackle of a badly tuned radio but with every step the dementors took the screaming got louder and the temperature dropped further, fingers of ice reaching out, piercing coldness and shards growing on every surface, razor sharp and cruel.

The dementors were getting closer and closer, he could hear their rattling breath and he could feel the tendrils of ice knit into his spine. "Lily and James, you killed them!" The shrieks were becoming distinct and images began to flash before his eyes, James eyes, dead and lifeless, staring up at him, somehow seeming to be accusing in their frozen state.

With a great effort he tore his eyes away from the memory, unable to tune out the screams but focussing his entire being on the iron bars that separated him from the dementors. Dementors that had now reached his cell, a single dark cloaked figure, their breath crystallising in the frozen air. With an agonising slowness the creature turned, nothing under the hood and a single rotting arm reaching out for him as he lost his grip on reality and plunged into his memories.

* * *

The sharp warning of the proximity ward around his bedroom pulled him out of slumber and he pushed himself up into a half reclining position, his breathing erratic as he tried to pull his emotions back under control. He had been taking Dreamless Sleep for the last few weeks, ever since they had reached Chateaux Noire, because he had no intention of waking Harry with his nightmares. But the potion was highly addictive so he had decided that he would have to learn to cope without it, and therefore tonight he had eschewed it, and as expected the nightmares had come.

The creak of his bedroom door as a small figure pushed it lightly from behind reminded him why he had been woken. Anticipating precisely this situation, he had set up a small proximity ward around his bedroom door that was designed to wake him if anyone approached the door in the night. It would ensure that he would always be awake if Harry needed to come and get him, as well as ensuring that if the child did come to his room in the night, he would not be frightened by finding Sirius trapped in a nightmare.

"Puppy," he called softly as the small figure of his godson, hair tousled by sleep, crept into his room. Even in the faint light from the hallway it was immediately apparent that something was wrong. Harry paused in the doorway, he wanted to go to Padfoot but he wasn't really sure if he was allowed to. He had never been allowed in his Aunt and Uncle's bedroom but Padfoot had said that he was allowed in his especially if he had had a bad dream. "It's alright little one," Padfoot said gently, "Come here."

At those words Harry all but flew across the room, scrambling onto the bed and launching himself at Sirius. The man was unprepared for the sudden movement and by the time he recovered Harry's thin arms were latched around his neck and the child's head was buried in his shoulder as his whole body shook.

Gently he pulled the covers up over both of them, tucking Harry in before wrapping his own arms around his godson and pulling the boy close until he was resting against his chest. "What's the matter puppy?" he asked tenderly.

There was a pause then, "Bad dream," the little boy whispered, snuggling up against his godfather. Sirius rubbed the child's back comfortingly, murmuring soft words as he tried to soothe him, and slowly he felt the shudders slow then finally cease altogether as Harry relaxed, safe with his godfather.

"Want to tell me about it?" Sirius asked quietly, once he was sure that his pup was calm again. There was a long pause and Sirius was about to tell Harry that it didn't matter when his godson spoke up.

"Uncle Vernon was mad," he small voice whispered, "And he got out the belt, and I wished I was away from him then I appeared in a scary place, it was dark and cold and people were screaming and there were nasty black ghosts who made me remember bad things,"

Sirius listened in mounting horror, nightmares about his uncle were common but the revelation that Harry had been dreaming of Azkaban shocked him to the core. Unconsciously he tightened his grip on his godson, pulled him even closer. He never wanted Harry to have experienced the terror that Dementors caused, to ever know what Azkaban was like. It was something no adult wizard should be forced to endure, even for short periods, let alone a young child, especially one with the horrific memories that Harry had. It wasn't right it wasn't fair, but why oh why was his poor, innocent, sweet little godson dreaming of such a horrific place? Harry had already been forced to endure so much, it wasn't right that he was being forced to endure even more, and the world of dreams was somewhere even he could not protect his child.

"Padfoot?" the small childish voice whispered, breaking Sirius out of his thoughts. He glanced down to meet a pair of sleepy emerald eyes that were staring at him, confusion and fear written plainly in their gaze. Instantly he felt awful, he had started to think of Azkaban when his godson needed him.

He tightened his grip, making sure Harry was wrapped securely in his arms, and he tucked the messy black head underneath his chin. "It's alright puppy," he soothed, fighting desperately with his voice to prevent it from cracking. "You're safe now and the black ghosts won't hurt you here." He felt the boy cuddle closer, accepting the comfort, and very soon the only sounds in the room were the breathing of the two figures.

Sirius was sure that the child had fallen asleep and was about to follow when his godson's voice shocked him into wakefulness, "Why're you sad Padfoot?" the little boy murmured, green eyes peeking upwards to meet troubled grey ones. Sirius's swallowed against the lump that had suddenly grown in his throat. He had promised himself that he would not lie to Harry but he still didn't want to talk about Azkaban. Eventually he managed to choke out, "The place in your dream is real. It's the prison they put me in and the black ghosts are the creatures that guard it. It scares me too puppy," he admitted and he saw wide eyes staring up at him.

Suddenly he felt thin arms wrap as far round him as they could, and startled he looked down at Harry to see the boy clinging to him with all his might. "It's a bad place and it hurts people," his godson said, his voice filled with conviction, "But you're good and you aren't going to be hurt anymore." Sirius smiled gently, overcome with emotion and cuddled the child closer, but Harry wasn't quite finished, and determined emerald eyes met his own. "You've got me now."

Sirius gently kissed the child's forehead, "Yes," he agreed, his voice suspiciously croaky, "I've got you." Harry looked at him for another moment before a small smile lit his face and he burrowed contentedly back into Sirius's embrace, to drift off into a peaceful sleep. Sirius however didn't find sleep quite so easily. He'd never realised it before but just now he knew without a doubt that they both needed healing, and he needed Harry just as much as Harry needed him.

* * *

Soon the days settled down into a regular pattern. Most nights Harry would migrate to Sirius's room sometime in the early hours of the morning, whether he had a nightmare or not. They still didn't know why Harry had been dreaming of Azkaban, it puzzled Sirius to no end, and since that incident there had been another couple of incidents where Sirius had found himself dreaming about the Dursleys and Harry had started dreaming of Azkaban. At the moment the only common theme was Harry wishing himself somewhere else or wishing for someone to come to him, and the best theory that Sirius could come up with was that the bond was pulling either him into Harry's dreams or Harry into his when the child wished to get away or for help, but there was no way of testing this and he had to admit it sounded a little far fetched.

But nights and nightmares aside the days that followed would be filled with fun as Sirius taught the boy what it was like to be a child once more. This pattern would change after Christmas, as Harry was signed up to begin attending the local primary school in January as Sirius had recognised he wasn't the best person to teach the young child, not to mention it would do Harry good to be around children of his own age that would not bully him the same way his cousin had.

However, the first few weeks in their new home had not been entirely fun and games, due to the fact Harry would soon be starting school and Sirius did not want the child to go there speaking hardly a word of French, that was a perfect recipe for disaster, and therefore he had been teaching Harry French nearly every day. So far his godson had been incredibly good about the lessons, not kicking up any sort of fuss and paying attention throughout, and Sirius had noticed that Harry seemed very eager to learn, and he was definitely picking up the language quickly. He felt pride swell up in him as he watched his godson valiantly struggle through a basic children's book in French.

As the child turned over the last page a smile broke out across Sirius's face and he scoped the little boy up into his arms, swinging him around, joining in with Harry's peals of laughter. Eventually, they both collapsed, breathless, onto the sofa and instinctively Harry burrowed lazily into the warm weight at his side, and Sirius reached out and pulled the child closer.

After several moments Sirius stood, reaching out to take Harry's hand and hauling him to his feet. "Go and put on your shoes and coat puppy," he instructed and the little boy nodded eagerly and hurried to the hall to do so as Sirius followed at a more sedate pace. It was getting close to Christmas, and correctly guessing that Harry had never really been part of the Christmas celebrations at the Dursleys, Sirius was doing everything he could to include the child, and to make sure it was the best Christmas Harry had ever had.

As soon as both of them were ready Sirius took Harry's hand and led him outside, settling him securely in front of him on the motorbike he had bought about a week ago when he remembered that he needed a form of transport as he couldn't apparate in a muggle area, and he knew that taking muggle public transport all the time would get irritating very quickly.

He felt Harry settle against his chest as he climbed on and slowly headed out towards the garden centre located on the other side of town. Parking the bike he helped Harry down, taking a firm hold of the boy's hand. Although he didn't expect Harry to leave his sight, every time they had gone out in public his godson had been all but his shadow and he was not comfortable leaving Sirius's side for anything more than a few minutes, he didn't want to take any chances. The child was far too precious for him to even contemplate losing.

Harry smiled shyly up at him. "What are we doing Padfoot?" he asked quietly.

"We're choosing the Christmas tree pup, and once we've bought it we are going to buy some new decorations and spend the rest of the day decorating it." Sirius watched as Harry's eyes lit up, showing nothing but shock and delight.

"You're letting me help with Christmas?" The child asked, awe colouring his voice.

"Of course I am puppy," Sirius replied tenderly, squashing the anger that built up in his chest when he heard Harry's surprise at being included. He had guessed of course but it did his temper no good to have his suspicions confirmed, "I couldn't have a proper Christmas unless you helped me." He couldn't help but smile as he saw the grin that broke out on Harry's face at his words. Making sure his godson was happy had quickly become something he enjoyed greatly and he all but lived for seeing Harry smile.

They reached the rows of trees and he saw Harry's mouth fall open in an expression of complete and utter shock, he'd probably never seen a Christmas tree before Sirius thought bitterly. He wouldn't put it past those damn Dursleys to have shut Harry in his cupboard for the entire festive period, only letting him out to cook and use the toilet. Pushing those thoughts aside, he was not going to let his anger at those bastards spoil the first Christmas he would have with his godson in too many years, he started leading Harry up and down the rows of trees, occasionally picking one out and examining it as they tried to find the perfect one.

Finally they discovered the perfect tree and by the time they had chosen several decorations as well as several packets of fairy lights, tinsel and baubles Harry was almost glowing with excitement. Sirius could feel the child's happiness and it lifted his own mood as he paid for everything and very carefully strapped the tree into the trailer which was attached to the back of the motorbike.

It was a very contented Harry that sat on the motorbike, leaning back against Padfoot who had one arm wrapped around him preventing him from falling whilst he drove the motorbike with the other. He'd had a lot of fun choosing the Christmas tree and decorations and he still couldn't quite believe he had been allowed to help. It was certainly very different living with Padfoot, he still couldn't quite believe that he had been so lucky as to have him. Padfoot acted like he was his daddy and had actually told him that he loved him and he still hadn't shouted or hit him even once. He hoped Padfoot never went away, he didn't think that he could stand it.

"We're home puppy," Padfoot's soft voice drifted down to his ears and he felt strong hands pick him up and lift him off the bike, placing him on the ground and steadying him. "Why don't you hurry inside?" he suggested gently, "I'm going to bring the tree in okay?" Harry nodded but a small frown crossed his face.

"Shouldn't I help?" He asked, confusion clear in his voice. Padfoot merely laughed, but the sound was not unkind in any way.

"I think you're still a little too small to help carry the tree puppy, but once it's inside you can help me decorate it." He told him. Harry looked very serious for a few moments before he smiled shyly and hugged his godfather's legs, the only part of Sirius he could reach. Sirius paused for a second, surprised at the child's actions, before reaching down and returning the hug.

"If you go and ask nicely, I'm sure Kitzy would make some cookies for us to eat while we decorate the tree." Sirius said after a few moments, smiling down at the child. Harry tilted his head in confusion,

"She would?"

"I think she would," Sirius told him, "She likes you a lot." It was true; Kitzy as well as the rest of the house elves had been completely taken by Harry and would do anything for the 'Young Master' as they called him.

"She does?" The innocence of the question tore at Sirius's heart, no child and particularly his wonderful, kind, sweet godson should ever have to be surprised that people liked them. "I know she does," he replied gently, "After all, she makes you special pancakes for breakfast whenever you have bad dreams." He leant down and gave Harry a quick kiss on the forehead, "Now why don't you run inside and ask her and then you can decide where we are going to put the tree whilst I bring it in, how's that puppy?"

Harry nodded, his smile lighting his face as he hugged Sirius once more before running inside to find the house elf. Sirius watched him go with a fond smile before he turned his attention back to the tree. Getting it inside without the help of magic looked set to be a daunting task.

* * *

And that's the update folks! Hope you all enjoyed it, and thanks for all those who reviewed the previous ones. Some of you have been mentioning that Sirius doesn't seem to be that affected by Azkaban and I hope this chapter has shown some of the difficulties as well as the reason why it hasn't been impacting him much in earlier chapters.

Anyway, see you in a fortnight and please review!


	13. Chapter 12

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 12**

Sirius blinked back sleep to see the small figure of his godson lying next to him, his finger reaching out to poke him in the side once more. A smile spread across his face as he enfolded the child's small hand in his own just as Harry's finger was about to impact his side. His godson glanced up at him, surprise flitting across his face as he paused for a split second, giving Sirius the time he needed to wrap his arms around his child and pull him into his embrace, snuggling him against his chest.

"Hello little one," he murmured, tucking the messy black head underneath his chin.

"It's Christmas Padfoot!" Harry's excited whisper was muffled somewhat by the thick cocoon of blankets that surrounded them, but Sirius could feel the boy's excitement pulsing through the bond even as the child snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Yes it is," Sirius agreed softly, some of his own joy leaking through into his voice as he surreptitiously glanced over at the alarm clock on the bedside table, pleased when he saw that it was already seven o'clock and that Harry had not woken up at a crazy hour of the morning, the child needed all the sleep he could get, particularly when he was losing at least an hour a night to the nightmares.

Harry didn't say anything for a several minutes, merely cuddling closer to Padfoot and tightening his grip on his wolf. He didn't quite know what to do now. He knew Christmas was a special time and as such it wasn't for freaks, but Dudley had always been excited about it even if Harry didn't know why. He knew he was supposed to be having Christmas this year, Padfoot had told him so but he didn't know what he was meant to do; he had always been locked in his cupboard over Christmas. He bit his lip considering, he didn't want to do it wrong, he'd spoil it for Padfoot and he didn't want to do that, but he didn't want to ask either. He wasn't supposed to ask questions.

A hand started to gently stroke his back as Sirius felt the anxiety rise in his godson, "What's the matter puppy?" he asked gently. Harry didn't answer for a moment, but then logic took over. Padfoot had asked him a question so he was allowed to ask one of his own, and even if he wasn't, Padfoot had never hurt him and he knew that he was nothing like his Uncle. "I don't want to do it wrong."

"Do what wrong puppy?" Padfoot questioned, his hand still stroking his back unerringly.

"Christmas," Harry whispered. Sirius had to forcibly bite back a string of curses at that answer. Harry should not have had to worry about doing something as pure as Christmas wrong, he should know precisely what was going to happen and he should have been able to be happy and carefree on today of all days.

"You can't do Christmas wrong little one," he said, his voice slightly hoarse, "You don't need to worry about that." Harry looked very serious for a moment before he nodded and burrowed back in his godfather's embrace. Sirius smiled and pulled the child closer, quite content just to lie there and savour the sensation of having his child safe in his arms.

"What do I do?" Harry shy question broke the silence, and Sirius pushed the hurt the innocent question caused away from his heart, he would be damned if he let anything ruin this day for his godson. "Well puppy," he said slowly, pulling himself into an upright position and settling the little boy comfortably in his arms, "The first thing we do on Christmas morning is go downstairs to see what Father Christmas has brought us."

Harry nodded obediently but Sirius could still see the flickers of disbelief in his expression. The idea that he was getting things, and particularly presents was still heartbreakingly new for his godson and Sirius could clearly remember the child's reaction when he had suggested that they put out milk and a mince pie for Father Christmas. Harry had just looked at him blankly before asking why they would put out something for Father Christmas because Father Christmas would never bring him anything. It had taken several minutes to persuade Harry that this year would be different, and even then the child had still looked like he wasn't going to get his hopes up, rather he was just going along with it to make his godfather happy.

Sirius forced himself to smile, in a moment Harry would see what a real Christmas was supposed to be like. He stood, swinging the little boy up into his arms, smiling, this time for real as his godson wrapped his small arms around his neck and held on tightly, burying his face in his shoulder. He paused to grab their dressing gowns before he headed downstairs, not missing Harry's soft exclamation as he saw that the lights on the Christmas Tree, which usually had to be turned on in the morning, were still shining brightly.

Sirius's attention was focussed on his godson's expression as he pushed open the door to the sitting room and as such he didn't miss the look of complete amazement that crossed the child's features.

"Presents," Harry breathed, wide emerald eyes locked on the pile beneath the tree. He couldn't believe the number of brightly coloured parcels that were stacked haphazardly in a blizzard of wrapping paper beneath the drooping branches. While the number was nowhere near the number he had seen Dudley receive, it was still more than he had ever expected to see here. "Go and pick one," Padfoot nudged him gently, propelling him towards the pile. Harry shot him a confused glance, "But they won't be for me?"

Padfoot shook his head, and Harry could feel the faint flickering of sadness coming from his godfather, but he couldn't quite understand why. He didn't think he had done anything to upset him. "No puppy," he said tenderly, "I think most of those presents will be for you, there might be one or two for me and Kitzy, but the rest are yours." Padfoot pushed him lightly in the direction of the tree and obediently Harry walked forward, still doubtful, picking up one present and looking at the label. His own name blinked back at him.

He glanced back at Padfoot for confirmation, "Mine?" he whispered. Padfoot nodded, moving away from the door, coming to sit behind him and gently pulling him onto his lap. "You're the only Harry here little one. Why don't you open it?" Harry looked up at him once more before turning sparkling green eyes on the small present he held almost reverently on his lap. Small fingers gently removed the sellotape, unfolding the paper extremely carefully, making sure not to rip even the smallest corner.

A book fell into his lap, another one of Roald Dahl's masterpieces, bought after Sirius had noticed just how taken Harry had been with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His godson looked up at him, a smile growing on his face as he looked back down at the book held in his hands, "Thank you Padfoot," he whispered, his eyes still not leaving the book. He had been given a present, and a proper present, not like the old socks or the coat-hanger his Aunt and Uncle had given him last Christmas.

"Puppy," Padfoot said, and he looked up at his godfather, wishing he had a better way to thank him for being so kind to him, "Why don't you open some of the other presents?"

"I've got _more_?!" The exclamation burst from his lips. To be given one present was amazing, to be given more than that was more than he had ever dreamed of. Padfoot reached forward, careful not to jostle him too much and plucked a second present off the pile, merely glancing at the label before placing it in Harry's lap. Like before, Harry very carefully unwrapped the present, his eyes growing as wide as saucers when a brand new football was revealed.

The next two hours passed in a very similar fashion, Harry gradually becoming more accustomed to receiving gifts as the time passed but still the incredulous expression never really left his face. Finally the last present was unwrapped, and apart from a new pillowcase embroidered with the Black and Potter family Crests and some cleaning equipment for Kitzy and a couple of books and a drawing Harry had done for Sirius, everything under the tree had been for Harry.

Still unable to believe just how kind Padfoot had been to him, Harry snuggled back into his godfather's arms wondering how on earth he could thank Padfoot for everything he had done for him. Padfoot had given him so much, already it had been the best Christmas of his life and he hadn't even had breakfast yet. Padfoot had spent so much on him, done so much for him, so much more than he would have ever even thought to ask for, he was completely content just to have his Padfoot, and the presents were more than he had ever dreamed of.

He owed Padfoot more than he could ever say, and he didn't know how he would ever be able to give Padfoot anything that would make up for everything the man had done for him. He didn't have anything he could give him, the only thing he could do was snuggle closer and try to convey just how happy Padfoot had made him. "Thank you," he murmured, clinging to his godfather with all his might.

He felt Padfoot's arms tighten around him, and then his godfather tenderly kissed his forehead. "I love you little one." Harry smiled, burrowing into Padfoot's chest, those words never failed to make him feel cared for and protected and he hoped that Padfoot would never go away. He couldn't stand going back to his Aunt and Uncle after Padfoot had loved him. He didn't want to go back to being a freak.

He'd never had somebody who loved him before, he was the freak, the burden that nobody would ever love. But Padfoot loved him, Padfoot was all but his daddy, and was being everything he had ever dared to dream his parents would be and would have been. He still missed his mummy and daddy of course, and wished he still had them but the wish wasn't as desperate as it had been back in his cupboard. He had Padfoot now.

"Love you too," he finally whispered, his small voice muffled, but Sirius still heard every word.

A huge smile broke across the animagus's face and he felt joy bubble up inside him as he gathered the precious, precious child even closer. Hearing those words from Harry's mouth had been the best Christmas present he had ever received. He didn't know what he had done to be blessed with a child as sweet and kind as his godson but he would not let the child down again, he would be the best parent the boy could ask for.

He brushed a kiss onto the child's messy hair, "I promise I'll always love and protect you little one," he vowed in a fierce whisper. He had failed Harry when he had gone after the rat but he was not going to fail his godson again, for as long as he lived he would keep that promise. At his words Harry's arms wrapped round his neck, holding on as if he had no intention of ever letting go, as the child's face buried itself in Sirius's shoulder.

Sirius held his child for several more moments before climbing to his feet, Harry still securely tucked in his arms and heading upstairs to get dressed before breakfast, it was nearly ten o'clock and the meal had waited long enough, particularly considering Harry needed to eat all he could to gain the weight the Dursley's abuse and neglect had robbed him off.

Once Harry was ready he swung the child up into his arms once more, smiling tenderly as the boy chatted excitedly, some of his shyness vanishing as Sirius chuckled along, putting in a comment or two, his own good mood rising further at the happiness that was spilling out of his godson.

It was part way through breakfast that the elf popped in, a parcel clutched in their long fingers. "A package arrived Master Sirius," the elf informed him, "It is from Remus Lupin for the young master."

Sirius smiled at the elf and thanked him, telling him to place the parcel on the side for Harry to open once he had finished eating. Inside he was glad to receive the confirmation that Remus hadn't forgotten Harry, and it was probably a combination of the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore and a lack of self worth keeping him from trying to visit the child, but despite all that he was still making an effort to be part of the boy's life, even if it was only through Christmas and Birthday presents and perhaps the occasional letter.

As soon as the meal was finished he passed the coloured packet to his godson, only pausing to extract the letter attached that was simply addressed '_To Harry's Guardian' _in his friend's distinctive loopy handwriting. He set it aside, he could concentrate on it once Christmas was over, it would keep. The more important thing was making sure Harry enjoyed his first proper Christmas in five years, and as he watched the child's face light up as he opened the packet to reveal a selection of wizard chocolate and a copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, he knew that there was nothing he wanted more in the world than to see Harry's joy.

* * *

AN Sorry its late - runs and cowers behind the desk - but performances of The Winter's Tale, combined with two concerts and homework + revising for January exams have been taking their toll. I hope you enjoyed this and again, sorry its late!


	14. Chapter 13

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 13**

Sirius sat at the desk in the study, fingers drumming impatiently against the wood as he reviewed Moony's letter for the umpteenth time in his mind. In some ways the letter hadn't come as a surprise, he would never have expected Remus to be anything but protective of Harry, but at the same time so many parts of it had been a surprise and a shock to the animagus. Years of living in the same dorm as Remus, and then their years of friendship under a backdrop of war, never mind the suspicions that had grown at the end, meant that he could read the man's emotions well, even through the print of a letter. His eyes dropped again to the parchment of the letter, crumbled now from the number of times he had held it, often too hard as the message bored into him.

_Dear Harry's Guardian _It read.

_I do not know your name, or even if you want anything to do with me but for Harry's sake I hope you will read this._

_Doubtless by now you will know of the escape of Sirius Black and the threat he poses to Harry and you must have taken steps to protect him but I am compelled to warn you this may not be enough. I was friends with both James Potter and Sirius Black in school, and I thought I knew him. The events of that Halloween showed me that I never knew Black at all, but regardless I know him well enough to tell you this._

_Black was always formidable, even as a teenager. He knows an immense repertoire of spells, and that is not including Dark ones he will have learnt from Voldemort, he is reckless, but most importantly he is determined. He fixes onto something and he never stops until he had found or done the thing he wants to and at the moment the thing he wants most is Harry._

_He won't stop searching, and as much as it pains me to admit it he is clever, clever enough to hide from all of us, including Dumbledore, his real allegiance. So please, please take Harry and run. Take Harry and run and don't look back. I do not normally beg but when it comes to Harry I have no other option. Hide him, keep him safe, don't let Black finish the job he started, and please don't let their deaths be for nothing._

_Please protect my cub,_

_Remus Lupin_

Sirius let out a deep breath as he allowed his eyes to drift upwards to the ceiling of the study once more. The letter was hard to read for several reasons, firstly the accusations that Remus levelled at him stung, particularly the idea that he would ever hurt Harry, but the more rational part of him could understand why Remus thought of him that way. It definitely hurt, but looking at the situation logically he knew that if he believed Remus was out to kill Harry he would have reacted in exactly the same way. Both he and Harry would have already run so far that nobody would ever find them again.

But the harder part for the animagus was the sender and the old emotions the letter had pulled up in him. Reading the words on the page, and understanding the emotions behind them, the desperation and pain, had pulled him back into memories he had been rather ruthlessly suppressing. It had pulled him back to his days at Hogwarts, to the times when the Marauders had thought that they were kings and nothing and no one would ever separate them or break their friendship. Everything that had happened that Halloween night. To everything that he had lost.

He was able to remember his Hogwarts days, and to an extent what had happened afterwards, Lily and James getting married, having Harry and the events up to his godson's first birthday, those he could remember fondly, without tainting them with the war and all the sacrifices that had been made. But anything after that point was too painful, too tainted by war and everything he had lost. Even though it had been five years since James and Lily had died he still had not even started to recover from their deaths. In Azkaban he had been too focussed on staying sane and making sure Harry was alright to have any time to grieve.

But now he had settled down, now he knew that Harry was a safe as he could make him, many of the memories that he had been suppressing had risen violently to the surface, a situation that had only been worsened by Moony's letter and the emotion he could almost feel bleeding behind every word.

The arrival of a small boy rather forcefully pulled his attention back to the present. Somehow Harry had slipped into the room and was in the process of climbing up onto his lap. Slightly puzzled Sirius helped the child up and he was further startled when Harry wrapped his arms around his and snuggled into his chest. Instinctively Sirius wrapped his own arms around the child, "Harry what..." he managed to get out before Harry spoke up,

"You're sad," he said simply, "I wanted to make you feel better." Wide innocent eyes looked up at Sirius as the child somehow managed to snuggle even closer. Sirius leant down and pressed a kiss into the messy black hair, he couldn't hang onto his black mood when he was holding his godson. Somehow just by his very presence Harry could pull him out of the awful memories and show him again that hope still existed and that he had a reason to live.

"Padfoot better now," the small voice said, and Sirius glanced down and saw his godson's shy smile peek up at him.

"Yes Harry," he murmured against the child's forehead, "Padfoot's better now."

"Good," Harry said happily, but he didn't make any move to leave, instead he just burrowed back into Sirius's embrace, completely content to stay nestled in his godfather's arms, and Sirius had no intention of letting go.

* * *

Remus Lupin did not receive much post, in fact he knew he hadn't received more than two items of mail that were not related to his muggle employment (no wizard or wizarding firm would even think of hiring him) since that awful night five years ago. Therefore it was rather a shock to the young werewolf to find an envelope sitting prettily on his rather worn wooden table, his name printed on it in a handwriting that, whilst it was not familiar, still had a strange sense of familiarity about it.

It was the lack of all other addressing that proclaimed this letter to be a wizard one, and whilst Remus had some contact with the world he had been born into and brought up in, he did still have a weekly subscription to the Daily Prophet, and he did still enjoy his collection of wizarding books, many of them gifts from his parents and the Marauders, otherwise he had lost virtually all contact with that world. He visited the wizarding hotspots, namely Diagon Alley and Hogsmede rarely, and while he used magic for convenience at home, (transfiguration and colour changing charms were invaluable when it came to furnishings and clothing, particularly on his meagre budget), otherwise he hardly touched his wand. There was nobody in the wizarding world that he had kept in contact with and as such the letter was more than a little shocking.

He approached it warily, some instincts from the war had never really left him, but the detection charm came up clean and he picked up the letter, absently noting that it was written on paper rather than the thick parchment that was a lot more popular with most wizards. Fingers slit the letter and he gently pulled the contents out onto his palm and immediately sat down. Hard.

The bright scrawl of a child's drawing peeped up at him, showing him the fantastical sight of a knight fighting a dragon. Part of his brain recognised the scene as one from the old muggle myth George and the Dragon as he stared down at the image. It was a simple affair, done in crayon and the drawing was messy, proclaiming the artist to be no more than six or seven but to Remus it was a priceless treasure. There was only one child whom he had ever tried to contact, and flipping the sheet of paper over he saw the words that confirmed his suspicions.

_TO MR MOONY,_

_THANK YOU FOR THE BOOK AND CHOCOLATES. THEY WERE VERY NICE._

_LOVE HARRY_

He didn't know how long he sat there staring at the paper, his eyes devouring the message and the picture, his only link to the green eyed child he considered to be a cub of his pack. He had been beginning to lose hope that he would ever be able to contact Harry. He had been regularly sending presents and the occasional letter for five years now and he had never received any indication that anything had been received.

But this single piece of paper gave him a sense of hope that he hadn't felt since James and Lily's death. He felt a few solitary tears slip down his cheeks. For a werewolf pack was everything, and his had been torn away in a single night, the cub being the only survivor and he had been unable to take custody. He had damn near broken down, in a world where he would never be accepted, his pack had been the only thing keeping him together and that had been taken away. But now everything had changed, he could be part of Harry's life, not a big part true but the lonely werewolf would take any connection to the boy with both hands. And more importantly, this picture showed him that for the time being at least Harry was safe, for the traitor would never encourage the child to contact anyone who could tell him the truth.

Eventually he managed to tear his eyes away from the drawing and it was then he noticed a second piece of paper had also been held in the envelope and been cast aside when he had spotted the picture. Curiously he opened it, glad he had not decided to stand up. An adult's handwriting stood out on this page, evidently Harry's guardian and whilst he didn't recognise it, there was still something familiar about the script, something he couldn't identify and couldn't quite place. He shrugged the feeling aside, it was probably from somebody in the Order that he had met before but never really known well, and he preferred to concentrate on the letter.

_Dear Mr Lupin _It read,

_Thank you for your concern, I am reliably informed that you were indeed a good friend of the late James Potter and your advice on the Black situation was most welcome. Information from those who knew them best is always the most valuable and I have taken your suggestions into account. Rest assured that Harry is safe and as long as I have breath in my body I swear to you that Sirius Black will never harm a hair on his head._

_With regards to the situation with Black I request that you tell nobody that you have even a small measure of contact with Harry. If nobody knows, nobody will come to you for information and nobody will then have the potential to breach our protections. I have been assured you are trustworthy but if any knowledge makes its way into the wrong hands there will be hell to pay. I will not risk his safety for anything._

_On another note I would appreciate it if you could write to Harry maybe once or twice a year with stories of his parents and particularly of his mother and father's Hogwarts days. Whilst I tell him all the stories I can, I had little contact with Lily between her going to Hogwarts and her marriage to James, so Harry and I would appreciate anything you, as one of their good friends could tell us._

_Regards_

_Patrick Evans_

_PS Address letters to Harry Potter and Patrick Evans and send them by a private owl, anything else will be redirected to a different location. _

Remus let out a slow breath as he finished the letter, happiness beginning to well up inside him as he realised the chance he had just been given. Patrick Evans, he presumed he was a relative of Lily's, an Uncle or cousin perhaps, had given him the greatest gift he had ever received since three boys had told him flat out that they didn't care he was a werewolf and the revelation they had become animagi to be with him. He wouldn't be able to meet Harry, he doubted it would be safe, but being able to send him letters and receive replies was more than he had ever dreamed of. He had been given a chance to be part of Harry's life, his silence was a small price to pay, and he was not going to waste it.

He hurried to his study, his mind flicking through the stories he could write down as he searched for pen and paper.

* * *

Sirius's mind drifted to the letter he had just sent off. He hoped it had been a good idea to contact the old wolf, he had used his best 'pureblood' script, one that his mother had spent hours drilling into him and one that bared little resemblance to his normal handwriting, so that Remus wouldn't get suspicious but he didn't know if it would work. He knew it had been a risk to contact Remus, but he knew how much the old wolf had to be hurting and he couldn't bring himself to deny either Remus or Harry this. He knew if he had been in Remus's position he would have wanted any contact possible and he knew he could ensure everything went as smoothly as possible. Through a combination of a letter box miles from where they lived, and house-elf magic no tracking charms would ever stick and he could ensure Harry never wrote anything in his letters that compromised them.

He had added in the last paragraph as an idea had come to him. He had only really got to know Lily once she had started going out with James and he could tell Harry little of her Hogwarts days or her childhood. Remus had started to get to know her in fifth year when he had been chosen as a prefect and he knew a lot more than Sirius did. Harry would always enjoy the new stories and any way to involve the old wolf without having to meet him and give up their secret, putting all of them in danger was something he was seizing gratefully.

* * *

The small figure of his godson was almost cowering behind him, clutching his hand in a vice like grip and looking at the school gates before him with something akin to terror. It was the first day of the Spring Term and Harry was starting the local primary school and whilst Sirius had expected some problems, the child was very shy and from what he had gathered, he had never had a very pleasant time in his previous school, with the favourite break time game being Harry hunting but he hadn't expected his godson to be quite so scared.

He knelt down, stroking his fingers over the child's messy mop, dyed brown like his own hair, and the famous scar covered by muggle makeup. "It will be alright puppy I promise," He said soothingly, "It won't be like your old school."

But Harry shook his head, fearful eyes staring straight at his godfather. "They'll chase me and call me a freak and step on my glasses." He pressed himself against his godfather's chest, clutching onto the man's clothing with both hands. "And you won't be here," the small boy whispered. "I don't want you to go, you're the only person who likes me."

Sirius drew in a shaky breath, he hated having to force Harry to do anything, but he knew the child needed an education which he couldn't provide. He pulled the boy towards him, nestling him against his chest. He could feel the slight frame shivering and the fear that was pulsing in sharp bursts across the bonds and his resolve almost broke, but he knew that if he took Harry home now, he would never be able to bring him back to school.

"Little one," he said in a soft voice, "I won't be far away, and I'll come back the moment I feel that there is something wrong. The children here won't be mean to you, but if they are I will make sure they won't be mean to you again." He focussed on sending calming waves of love and reassurance over the bond, and slowly he felt Harry begin to relax. "I'll never be more than five minutes away and I'll be waiting for you at the end of school."

"You won't leave me?" Harry asked in an extremely small voice. Sirius heard the double question in words and answered both.

"Never puppy. I won't abandon you and when the school day finishes I will be waiting for you right here." He gently kissed the boy's forehead. "You will never be alone again." Finally he felt his godson relax in his arms, and he stood slowly, keeping hold of Harry's hand, "Let's go and meet your new teacher little one. Remember Ben, you can't tell anyone else secrets."

He saw the little boy nod seriously, his sharp fear replaced by a sense of nervousness and determination, however Sirius kept sending a steady stream of love and comfort over to the child, realising his godson needed the reassurance now more than ever. In response he saw Harry send a timid smile up in his direction and shift slightly closer to his side. He smiled tenderly down at the boy, brushing a comforting thumb over the back of the child's hand as they entered the primary school.

The teacher was a kind faced young woman who took one look at the shy child, half hiding behind Sirius before she leant down and held out her hand, talking quietly and slowly. Harry didn't quite understand all the French but he caught the gist of the words, and hearing the kindness in her voice allowed her to eventually take his hand and lead him to join his new classmates.

Sirius watched him go, raising his hand to wave when Harry glanced back, some of his own doubts rising in his heart. He didn't want to be separated from Harry any more than Harry wanted to be separated from him, but his logical side had overruled his emotions. Harry needed an education, he needed to be able to write and read and do maths, and later he would need to know how to write essays, cast spells and make potions.

As much as he wanted to he couldn't just hide Harry away and hope the world never came looking for their saviour, for as much as the idea appealed to him he knew it wouldn't be possible. Even if he virtually imprisoned the child in Potter Mansion it would not be safe, not to mention he refused to imprison his godson, even in a place like Potter Mansion, he knew too well what it felt like and he would never subject the precious child to that.

But that meant he would have to prepare Harry for the world that would greet him when he turned eleven. And so he would teach him, teach him muggle martial arts and swordmanship so he could defend himself, teach him occulmency so he could protect his mind and once he turned ten and could get his first wand as the Potter Heir, teach him how cast spells and defend himself. But he would not rob the boy of his childhood, so Harry would go to school, learn the practical skills Sirius would struggle to teach him, have fun, play and make friends. But most importantly of all, Harry would always be loved. He was not going to spoil the child when it came to material goods, but when it came to love Harry was going to be the most spoilt little boy on the planet.

* * *

To his great surprise Harry found that he was enjoying his time at school, while he didn't understand everything the children were saying, most of the time he got the general gist of their conversations, and he had learnt a lot more French in a very short time. The teachers were kind to him, and to his utter shock the boy he was sitting next to had smiled at him and started to talk to him quite happily, telling him all about the town and his family, as well as pelting Harry with questions once he found out he was from England. Harry couldn't answer all of them, but he quickly discovered that didn't matter, Louie would jump instantly to the next one, or tell him what the French equivalent was.

He had wondered what to do at break time, having never really played with children of his own age before, as Dudley had always made sure that nobody wanted to be his friend, but he didn't have to wonder long because Louie, evidently decreeing Harry was his responsibility, dragged him off to play football with the other boys. It was a new experience but one he found himself enjoying.

Halfway through the day another though occurred to him too, his teacher Mademoiselle Befort had handed out a maths test and he realised that he could do as well as he liked as there was no Dudley to accuse him of cheating and Padfoot would want him to do well. It felt nice not to have to deliberately put down the wrong answers when he knew what the right ones were and he handed it in with a happy smile, knowing he had done well for once in his life.

But still, no matter how much he had enjoyed the experience, as the clock inched round towards three, he found himself impatient for school to end. He had missed Padfoot and he didn't want to wait any longer, having to be content with the flickers of emotions he could feel if he concentrated hard enough.

When the bell finally rang he bolted out of the classroom, his eyes searching the gate where Padfoot had said he would be. Seeing Padfoot standing there, he launched himself at his godfather, wrapping thin arms round the man's legs and clutching on tightly. A rich chuckle sounded above him, "Missed me little one?" Padfoot asked gently as he reached down to pull Harry up into a hug, pressing a kiss into his hair. Harry didn't bother to answer, he just burrowed deeper into Padfoot's embrace. Padfoot smiled tenderly and took Harry's hand, enfolding it in his much larger one before leading him over to his motorbike.

Once he was settled on the bike, resting against Padfoot's chest, one of his godfather's arms holding him securely, he snuggled contentedly back into Padfoot's safe hold, drinking in the love he could feel surrounding him. For, no matter how enjoyable school was, it would never be better than being with his Padfoot.

* * *

Hi all, yes I know it has been three weeks since the last update, but as those who read IoH already know I caught the flu last week, which put me a week behind schedule. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and please review!


	15. Chapter 14

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 14**

Sirius groaned as he lugged the last of the suitcases down the stairs. Over the past three years he had become accustomed to doing things the muggle way even in their home. After several near misses when Harry's friends or the neighbours had popped round unexpectedly he had been forced to decree that magic and magical items was not to be used by either Harry or himself within the house, and all magical items, with the exception of his wand and the children's story books had been consigned to either Harry's den or the garage, or as it was more commonly used as, the training room.

They had fitted almost seamlessly into the life of the small French town. Harry had settled happily into his new school, making a few good friends, Louie and Amalie who had stayed friends with him throughout school, Marc and Nicole who went to his karate class and Pierre who had moved to the town the previous summer. They had rapidly become close and it warmed Sirius's heart to see the child laughing and joking with them, and feeling Harry's happiness leaking through the bond.

Sirius too had settled down. Originally he had found it hard to find work, he had no qualifications that he could use in the muggle world after all but a combination of working part time at a local garage customising motorcycles and publishing novels had proved to be more than enough to live comfortably on.

Publishing had been something that had really happened by accident. Shortly after they had first arrived he had started writing, mainly as a way of trying to cope with all his grief and all the scars the war had left him with, that had only been magnified by Azkaban. It had been one of those oh why not moments that had seen him send a finished manuscript to a publisher and he had been immensely surprised when they had accepted it.

His novels weren't best-sellers but he was aware he had a reasonable following, and the reviews had mainly been good, many praising his vivid portrayal of friendship against a backdrop of war and betrayal, few suspecting these were all stories drawn straight from his experiences and the nightmares that still haunted him, albeit changed enough so that they would not be recognised by people who had lived through the events, even if they managed to get hold of a copy.

That being said, there had been a few sticky moments, especially in the early days, most concerning Harry's accidental magic. It had taken a long time for Harry to stop being jumpy around adults, and even now Sirius was sure that it would take a long time for any adult to gain Harry's trust, and that very few ever would. But the lack of trust, and Harry's tendency to overreact when it came to adults had been the cause of more than one outburst of accidental magic.

The first outburst had been a few weeks after Harry had started at the primary school, and in terms of reaction it had been the worst. Frightened and confused, Harry had fled and Sirius could clearly remember the panicked call he had received from the school.

_His unease had been steadily growing for the last quarter of an hour. He had felt a sudden flash of fear over the bond and ever since then there had been a quiet stream of fear and sadness. He had rushed home immediately and was just about to head to the school when they had called him. The message he had received had in one way relieved him, Harry had been spooked, done accidental magic and then hidden, he hadn't been taken or discovered but at the same time it made his gut twist, knowing Harry was missing and needed him._

_He hurried to the school as fast as he could, barely wasting time on the pleasantries before helping with the search. Perhaps that had been a good thing, and combination of worry and anger at the school, not matter how unjustified, were not a good combination if you were trying to be polite. The moment he was away from prying eyes, he focussed on the magic of the bond, focussing on finding Harry. As it had before, a thin golden thread rose up out of his chest, stretching out towards the playground. His eyes narrowed, "I'll check the playground," he suggested, "Ben often hides outside when we play hide and seek."_

_Without waiting for a response, he strode off in the direction the gold chain indicated, sending waves of love and comfort across the bond, as he searched for his godson. It didn't take long. The golden chain connecting them lead him unerringly to a tangle of undergrowth that had managed to occupy one corner of the playground and as he got closer he could just make out the faint sounds of a child's crying._

_He felt pain well up in his heart, the last thing he wanted was to see Harry in pain, or ever be the cause of his godson's distress. With shaking hands he pushed some of the foliage away to reveal the sight of the small boy curled up in a tight ball, sobbing. Frightened green eyes snapped up to look at him, tears shining brightly, "I'm here puppy," he murmured though his voice cracked on the words._

_It was all he needed to say, Harry flung himself at him, fingers latching onto his clothing and the child buried himself in his chest as his whole body shook with the force of his sobs. There was nothing Sirius could do apart from clutching the child tightly to him, kissing his forehead and murmuring reassurances and comfort._

_Slowly Harry's cries stopped and the boy drifted to sleep in his arms, exhausted by his accidental magic and the emotional outburst. Sirius knew as soon as the child woke he would have to deal with the reasons behind the outburst and the fears that had sent Harry running, but for now he was content to hold his godson securely in his arms and to let the relief flow through him that his precious child was safe and unharmed._

_The teacher's took one look at the boy nestled asleep in his arms, the small face still streaked with tear tracks and made no attempt to even suggest that Harry remained in school that afternoon and Sirius was glad they hadn't. He knew he would not be parted with his godson until he knew precisely what had happened and he was sure that the child knew he was safe and how much he was loved._

_It was another two hours before Harry awoke. Sirius had stayed with him, the little boy curled up on his lap, his fingers stroking through the messy hair, a gesture that calmed his fears and he hoped soothed Harry. The hardest part had been feeling the flickers of Harry emotions through the bond, the fear and the pain his dreams were inspiring in him, but he had been unable to wake the child up. So when the emerald eyes finally opened the relief the swept through him was powerful enough to rob him of breath for a moment._

_It was only his arms that prevented the child from hurting himself as he bolted upright, almost falling off Sirius's lap in the process, his eyes darting around frantically before Harry seemed to recognise where he was and slumped back down into his godfather's embrace. "What's the matter puppy?" Sirius asked, a note of worry in his voice which Harry didn't fail to pick up on._

_The boy shrunk back into his embrace, "Please don't be mad Padfoot," he whispered, "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to be a freak, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to throw the lady backwards, I couldn't help it, please don't hit me." The fearful begging almost broke Sirius's heart, but what was worse was the casual way his precious godson referred to himself as a freak._

_Sirius tightened his grip and poured as much love across the bond as he could, "I'll never hit you little one I promise. There's nothing you could do that would ever make me hit you." His voice was fierce as he tried to convince the child of his words and his determination, but contrary to his tone of voice, his fingers stroked tenderly through Harry's hair, the soft movement calming the child as he slowly relaxed in Sirius's arms._

_Satisfied that Harry no longer thought he was about to be hit, Sirius continued in a much softer voice, "I'm not mad at you puppy, you did accidental magic, it doesn't make you a freak, all wizarding children do it and it isn't something you can control. I know you didn't mean to hurt the lady did you?" Harry shook his emphatically and Sirius smiled gently down at him as he continued, "I'll never be mad at you if you do accidental magic, it's very good, it shows me you are a powerful little wizard."_

"_I am?" Harry asked timidly and Sirius nodded in reply._

"_Yes you are little one, now can you tell me what happened earlier, and why you ran away?" Sirius asked gently, but there was an edge of sternness in his voice that let the child know he wanted answers._

_For several moments Harry didn't answer, and Sirius forced himself to be patient, knowing that anything he did that was either angry or impatient would do nothing but frighten the child further, and also that eventually his godson would speak. Just as he was about to ask again Harry started to speak._

"_I tripped when I was carrying my tray, I didn't mean to," He added hurriedly and in response Sirius just held him closer, "But I dropped the tray, and the plate and cup broke. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, please don't be mad." Emerald eyes stared up at him, pleading and scared._

"_I'm not mad," Sirius murmured reassuringly, "You didn't mean to break the plate and cup, it was an accident." Harry nodded frantically, "So I'm not mad, I won't ever be mad at you for an accident puppy." Harry regarded him for a moment, but evidently reassured by the love and determination he could feel flowing from his godfather he continued, his voice soft and timid._

"_The dinner lady came, she was angry and it scared me. She looked like Aunt Petunia did before she'd hit me with the frying pan, or call for Uncle Vernon to get the belt." The child was trembling on his lap and Sirius held him as close as he could, pressing kisses into the messy hair and sending as much love over the bond as he could. He was beginning to understand why his godson had run, anything that reminded him of his wretched relatives was likely to incur flashbacks and terror._

"_I wanted her to go away, and then something happened and she was on the floor and my punishment was always worse when I did something freaky so I hid. I didn't want to be hurt again." _

_The simple statement sent daggers into Sirius's heart as he clutched his child to him and murmured reassurances and comfort. He wished he could tell Harry that he would never be hurt again, but he knew he couldn't promise that, all he could say was that he would never raise his hand to him. As much as he could wish it differently, Harry had been hurt too much in his short life, and he would carry the scars within him for the rest of his life._

It hadn't been the last time there had been problems with accidental magic, and it had taken quite a lot of time before Harry was able to accept magic as something good and fun, and Sirius attributed that success to the rather creative uses he had found for magic. The first summer after they had moved Sirius had decided that it would be a good idea to build Harry a tree-house. They had worked for several weeks to make it perfect and Sirius had taken the opportunity to introduce Harry to magic properly.

Colour changing charms and magical paint were used to decorate the tree-house, and Sirius had cast an undetectable extension charm on the roof, creating a whole den for Harry up there, complete with trap door and rope ladder, cushions, magical books and his magical toys and games. However he was strictly instructed never to let his friends into the roof space, something which Harry had no trouble keeping to, he had had far too few places to call his own to squander his special places to anyone else.

However Sirius had made sure that as well as having fun that Harry was also taught and trained to deal with the outside world. He had seen far too much of the dark side of the world to have been left with any illusions over the nature of humanity, living through a war and then being sent to hell on earth would do that to you. He knew that when they rejoined the Wizarding World, if Harry was unable to protect himself he would be taken advantage of and he would be in danger due to his status as the Boy-Who-Lived.

Therefore he had enrolled Harry in a karate class in a nearby town which he attended twice a week. To his relief and joy Harry had taken to it like a duck to water and formed several fast friendships in the group. Over the last three and a half years he had managed to earn his purple belt, and whilst he was nowhere close to being a master, he was certainly competent when it came to defending himself and as most of the Wizarding World didn't practice physical fighting it would give him a huge advantage if he was ever threatened or attacked.

Sirius had also taken the adult class, wanting to be sure that he was in the best shape possible to protect his godson, like Harry he too had progressed quickly, his years fighting in a war had given him an edge when it came to sparring and dodging and he too had earned his purple belt a couple of months before Harry, and they would often warm up before their training sessions with a quick spar. Sirius usually won, his size and strength giving him an advantage, but still there were occasions when Harry would beat him, giving him the confidence his child would be able to defend himself against most adult wizards.

It wasn't just karate they both did though, while Harry was unable to practice spells as he would not be able to cast magic without it being detected or obtain a wand until the year he turned eleven and they were behind the protections in Potter Manor, it didn't mean that Sirius didn't teach him about other magics. Every Saturday morning they would go to the garage and Sirius would teach Harry about the world and culture he should have grown up in, Magical History and the basics of potion making which was primarily ingredient preparation and what reacted with what, although they did make a few basic potions.

Harry hadn't kicked up a fuss about the lessons somewhat to Sirius's surprise, and he was absolutely fascinated by the Wizarding World, and it was an eye opener for Sirius as he realised just how wondrous the magical world was for those who had been raised in the muggle world, but also limiting as Harry's innocent questions about the wizarding equivalents for televisions, computers and tape players revealed as Sirius was forced to concede that in general Wizards were lazy and didn't really have much technology aside from the WWW.

However, even though Harry was disappointed with some aspects of the Wizarding World, and in particular he was angry at the Ministry once the story of his godfather's imprisonment had been fully explained to him, it didn't change his fascination with the world he should have grown up in. He was eager to learn but often their lessons, particularly those on magical history turned into story session as Harry was intrigued by the ancient wars, discoveries and battles that were far more interesting than many storybooks.

But his training was not just lessons; the practical aspect was immensely fun for them both. Sirius had purchased a machine that was designed to fire balls randomly in a specified direction and modified it to shoot small cloth bundles that he had enchanted to change the colour of clothing or skin at high speeds and from all directions. This was then used for dodging practice, Harry might not be able to cast spells yet but making sure he was able to get out of the way was key to his safety. Needless to say, dodging training was both exhilarating and exhausting as they competed to see who could achieve fewest hits.

The final aspect of Harry's training was the one which was the most frustrating for both of them. Sirius was acutely aware that even in the Wizarding World they would still have to hide, and having been taught occulmency as a young boy, the Black's being paranoid about their secrecy, he was one of the few who were aware that Dumbledore regularly used it, and that to the right people an undefended mind was an open book.

It had been easy enough to teach Harry to meditate, but when it came to occlumency itself the progress was slow. They practiced hard, trying to build up Harry's shields but the only way to test them was for Sirius to perform legilimency on him. He was as gentle as he could be and he always withdrew as soon as he broke through the shield but Harry was struggling.

Part of Sirius suspected it was because in order to create an effective shield you had to deliberately hide every memory or thought, and Harry refused to look at his memories from the Dursleys. Sirius understood completely, he didn't think of his summers after he had started Hogwarts, but Harry needed to be able to face the memories before he could create a shield, and his inability to do that, and thus progress beyond a weak shield frustrated him immensely. Thankfully once he gave Harry the Black Heir Ring, it would protect his mind until he was able to shield it himself, but he would be unable to rely on that protection forever.

The sound of a child running down a flight of stairs was enough to snap Sirius out of his musings and he turned just in time to catch Harry as he tripped on the last step and his momentum sent him flying forwards. "Be careful Harry!" He exclaimed as he gently placed the boy back on his feet, "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Sorry Pa," Harry murmured apologetically, scuffing at the carpet with one foot, his sincerity flowing across the bond, "I'll be more careful next time."

Sirius chuckled, "Don't make promises you can't keep puppy," he said, pulling his child into a hug which was eagerly returned, "Just watch where you're going next time." Harry nodded somewhat awkwardly as his head was still resting against his father's chest. He did know that Sirius was actually his godfather but over the last three years he had easily taken the place of a farther in Harry's heart and there was nobody else he would consider taking that role. Sirius was his Pa and nobody would take him away from him.

"Ready to go little one?" His Pa asked quietly and Harry nodded, frowning a bit at the nickname. He knew he was small for his age but he wasn't a small child any more, but at the same time he didn't mind it too much, it had been one of the first nicknames he had had which wasn't 'freak' or 'boy' and it reminded him of just how much Pa loved him.

Soon he was settled on the motorbike, helmet firmly in place and he watched as the countryside went flashing by. They had never really left the town and the surrounding area, and while he had a few vague memories of the boat trip and the town where his Aunt and Uncle lived, he hadn't really seen much of the world. All that was going to change tomorrow though. For the first time in his life he was going to go to back to England.

Now he was ten Pa had told him that he could be declared the official Potter and Black Heirs so they would be able to access Potter Manor which was much more protected and had a lot more space than their house here, and he would be able to get a wand as it was the year he would turn eleven and get his Hogwarts letter.

Sirius was deeply unhappy with sending him to Hogwarts for reasons that Harry didn't quite understand, all the stories he had heard seemed to show it as a wonderful place, if a bit dangerous. He knew that was partially what had his father worried but there was something else too that he hadn't told Harry, but Harry knew enough to know that it wasn't possible to change schools.

In order to attend a Wizarding School you had to be a citizen of the relative country or countries and with his Pa wanted by the ICW he couldn't apply for citizenship for another country, so at the moment Harry had to go to Hogwarts, although he got the impression that his Pa had something planned, and between that plan and having no other option but homeschooling, he was going to attend Hogwarts, albeit with a year's worth of magical training and something Pa had dreamed up to protect him.

He was distracted from his thoughts when the roar of the motorbike stopped. He looked around in confusion, they appeared to be in the middle of nowhere, with a forest surrounding them and the road vanishing as it weaved away into the trees. "Pa?" He asked, his voice questioning. Sirius just smiled down at him, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and using his other arm to push the bike into the forest. "Welcome to the Chateaux Noire puppy."

Before Harry's astonished eyes he saw the trees rear back and a paved road appear under their feet. He had seen magic throughout his childhood, but nothing had prepared him for seeing the effect of ancient wards in action. Sirius smiled at his son's awestruck expression and, keeping his arm securely around the child's shoulders started to lead him down the path but they hadn't got far before the house elves popped in, relieved him of his bike, popped them to the house and informed them that their travel cases were in their bedrooms, the rest of their luggage was in storage and supper would be served in thirty minutes.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Sirius heard his bedroom door creak open and a small figure slipped in. He had been feeling Harry's nervousness and worry ever since the child had gone to bed five hours ago. He had already been to check on him several times but each time his efforts had been rebuffed by the child, so about two hours ago he had stopped, knowing Harry would come to him when he was ready.

A few seconds later he felt his child clamber up into the bed beside him and snuggle against his side. He reached out, wrapping his arms around his son and tucking the messy head under his chin. "What's bothering you puppy?" He murmured tenderly even as he felt Harry relax a little in his arms.

"I'm scared about tomorrow," the boy eventually whispered, burrowing deeper into the embrace, "I don't want them to catch you." Sirius sighed, knowing he should have foreseen this, Harry knew why they had run and it was only logical he would be afraid of Sirius getting caught, he knew that the child regarded him as his father, and truth be told he thought of the boy as his own.

"I won't be caught little one," he reassured the child, pressing a kiss to his son's forehead, "Nobody will think a black grim and a boy are Sirius Black and Harry Potter, we'll be safe."

And Harry believed him. He was wrapped tightly in his Pa's arms and he knew that nothing and nobody could ever hurt him here. He was completely safe but most importantly he was loved.

* * *

Hello all, hope you enjoyed the chapter and the time skip and that the length made up for the slight delay in posting.

Thank you for all your support and please review!


	16. Chapter 15

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 15**

Harry's fingers were knotted into Padfoot's fur and it was only the presence of the large black dog at his side that was keeping him moving forwards. Sirius had apparated them both to a small back alley several roads away from the Leaky Cauldron early that morning before he had transformed and gently started to lead Harry to the ancient pub and Diagon Alley which lay beyond.

Nobody would recognise them as Sirius Black and Harry Potter. A dab of muggle make-up had easily covered the scar and wouldn't be removed by any magical means, and brown hair dye and brown tinted contact lenses made sure that the child bore little resemblance to James Potter unless you looked closely at the features. Nobody would think he was Harry Potter, and of the only two people who knew Sirius Black was an animagus, one could not reveal him without revealing himself which would not be wise, and the second had told Harry in his last letter that he was currently working in a book exchange in the USA, so the secret was safe from that angle.

They had two main issues to deal with today, first was going to Gringotts to claim Harry's heritage and obtain access to Potter Manor, and the second was obtaining Harry a proper wand. Dealing with Gringotts would be the simpler task, Sirius had explained precisely what questions Harry needed to ask, and in his pocket Harry had the slip of paper with the name of the Potter Account Manager, whom he had to ask for when they reached the bank.

That should go smoothly, the place where it might become sticky is claiming the Black Heir ring, however as he had never been given a trial, they would not recognise him as a convict, and he had corresponded with his account manager via owl post, as the goblins had contacted him after he had started making purchase by bank note, so he was fairly confident that once they were inside the safety of the Account Manager's office he would be safe to transform and conduct the necessary business. Furthermore, he was hoping that the goblins, like the house elves would be able to sense the bond and know that he did not, and would never mean his godson any harm and Sharpclaw was an old friend after all.

Obtaining a wand could be trickier. It was not the actual purchase that worried him, rather Ollivander's ability to identify a person without actually seeing who they were. If he recognised Harry it would not be as awful, his disguise could be explained by his want to travel in public freely, without any hassle, however if he managed to recognise Sirius things could get problematic.

Sirius hoped that being in the form of a Grim would be enough to conceal his identity, and because a Grim was a magical creature the story they had concocted was that he was Harry's familiar. It would explain why he had mannerisms which were not completely natural to dogs and was more alert and human, and secondly, if anyone or anything could sense or see the bond between them it would be dismissed as a familiar bond instead of something from the old magics many of which were illegal. The only reason Lily had ever found the ritual was that she was an Unspeakable who was researching the old magics, and the backdrop of war had made her desperate enough to use them.

They had been very careful in planning this trip and Sirius had made sure Harry knew precisely what his story was and between them they hadn't left anything unplanned. Padfoot had been renamed, Harry was using the name he had used in France and he had the perfect story, and he knew who to ask to let him into the alley.

Sirius could feel Harry trembling against him and he licked the child's hand, trying to comfort him as much as he could. Harry glanced down at him and smiled timidly in response, although Sirius could feel the fear flowing through the bond. He didn't even have to concentrate as he sent waves of love back, wrapping his child securely in their warmth. Slowly he felt Harry relax, and once he was sure the boy wasn't about to bolt he leaned forward and nudged the door of the Leaky Cauldron open with his nose.

With one more encouraging lick Harry stepped forward into the gloom, his fingers securely twined in Padfoot's fur. Most of the patrons didn't even look up, but Tom did and seeing the small boy walk warily into his pub, the black grim at his side and a conspicuous lack of parents was enough to send alarm bells ringing. He looked down in concern as the boy approached the bar, "You alright there sonny?" He asked, concern filling his voice.

Harry glanced up shyly, his small smile enough to melt anyone's heart. "Could you please let me into the Alley Mr Tom?" The old barkeeper came round to peer at the boy,

"Where are your parents lad, I can't let you go wandering into the Alley without permission now can I?" Harry looked up, eyes wide and innocent but at the same time sad and Sirius would have marvelled at how good his son was at acting if he couldn't feel the fear and pain flowing across the bond, although he suspected that the pain was not just for the loss of James and Lily, but also for the thought that he could also lose Sirius.

"Mum and Dad are dead," he said quietly, "But my Uncle looks after me now, he had to go into work early today but he said I could go to the joke shop and get an ice-cream and you'd let me into the Alley."

Tom looked a little sceptical, "He let you come to Diagon Alley alone?" Harry shook his head firmly, his fingers burrowing deeper into Padfoot's fur.

"I'm not alone Mr Tom sir, Bardulf is with me and he'll always protect me." The innkeeper took one look at the large black dog that looked remarkably like a grim and decided that the boy was probably right. The dog easily came up to the lad's elbows and would be more than capable of driving anyone who meant him harm away. Coming to a decision he nodded at the lad and led him to the brick wall the led to the Alley. "Don't let me catch your Uncle saying anything different now." He cautioned him, but the boy just nodded obediently and thanking him once more, hurried off in the general direction of Zonko's as the portal closed behind him.

Once Harry was sure that nobody was watching he came to a stop in front of a shop window, leaning into the large black grim and clutching at his fur like a lifeline. At any other time he would have enjoyed being in the Alley but at the moment he was too scared about his Pa to really pay attention to where he was. A low rumble deep in Padfoot's chest and a light nudge from his cold nose urged the boy to keep moving. Running his fingers through the fur to calm himself and finding that it helped somewhat Harry let the dog gently pull him in the direction of Gringotts bank.

Even his fear was not strong enough to override the awe that filled him as he received his first look at the Goblin Bank. Gleaming white marble stood proudly against the sky and the two goblins stationed by the entrance were dressed in the finest armour. He noticed that as they passed the goblins eyes widened slightly and he pressed himself closer to his Pa but they didn't say anything or move from their posts and they were able to pass into the bank safely.

Just as Sirius had instructed him, Harry approached one of the tellers and waited patiently until they acknowledged him. "Good morning sir," the child said politely, "Please could I speak to Mr Sharpclaw." Having never seen a goblin before Harry didn't notice the surprise and no little shock that flashed across the goblin's features as he was greeted with such courtesy. "I will see if he is available, and may I enquire as to the nature of the business you wish to conduct."

If he had been human Sirius's eyebrows would have risen, both he and James had always enjoyed a good relationship with their account manager, through some quirk of fate both the Potter and Black accounts were managed by the same goblin but they had never managed to obtain the same level of politeness when dealing with other goblins that Harry had achieved in a single sentence. "I have come to claim my position as Heir and review the family accounts sir." Harry said quietly and this time he didn't miss seeing the goblin's eyes widen, evidently he knew which families Sharpclaw managed the accounts of. The goblin nodded once.

"Griphook," he barked at a nearby goblin, "See if Sharpclaw is available. Family Business." The goblin nodded and scurried off and then the teller turned back to Harry. "The information should be available in a few moments." He said neutrally, "Please wait." He turned back to whatever ledger he had been writing in before they had arrived as they waited for Griphook to return.

Sirius felt Harry's fingers dig painfully into his coat and the fear flood across the bond. It had dulled slightly when he had been speaking to the goblin but Sirius now realised that Harry had just been concentrating so hard on his task that it had smothered the fear for that moment. Sirius pushed as much love across the bond as he could, silently reassuring the child that it would be alright and that nothing was going to go wrong.

A few minutes later Griphook returned and spoke to the teller who nodded sharply before turning back to Harry. "Sharpclaw will see you now. Griphook, take them to the office." The small goblin nodded and beckoned with one clawed hand at the boy and dog, after only a slight hesitation Harry followed. He tried to keep count of the turns and to keep his bearings in the huge building but after the first three corridors and looping turns he was completely lost. But before he could scare himself thoroughly Griphook stopped at a small door, the sign reading Sharpclaw: Account Manager.

A nudge from Padfoot and Harry gingerly opened the door and stepped into the spartan office. The goblin seated at the large desk looked up as they entered and his eyes narrowed as he took in Harry's appearance, but as his gaze moved to the black dog that was all but glued to the boy's side his eyes widened and he looked between them once more.

Suddenly he snapped out of whatever had caught his interest. "We require a blood test to confirm your identity before we deal with any possible Lordships you stand to inherit." He said brusquely.

Bravely Harry stuck out his hand waiting for the test. He had been told by his Pa that his would be necessary but still, he didn't like the idea of his palm being sliced open, but if he had to do it to make sure Pa was safe he would do so. The goblin showed no sign of surprise at Harry's willingness to take the test, he merely slashed a dagger across the child's palm, collecting several drops of blood on the blade, a dripping them onto a single piece of parchment.

Instinctively Harry clenched his hand, pulling it into a fist as tears smarted in his eyes, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out. Beside him the fur on Sirius bristled as he felt his child's pain. The instant the parchment showed Harry to be Harry James Potter he was going to transform and heal his son. However before he had the chance to do anything rash the parchment glowed and upon reading the words there Sharpclaw waved his hand in a curious motion and the cut on Harry's palm sealed up.

"Welcome Mr Potter," He intoned in his gravelly voice, "I apologise for my roughness, but as you did not bear the marks I was expecting to see," his eyes flickered towards Harry's forehead where the scar was concealed, "I believed you to be an imposter."

Harry scuffed his feet against the floor, "I'm trying to hide. Things become difficult when I go out in public, I don't want to be mobbed." The goblin let out a bark like laugh.

"You don't need to worry about that here Mr Potter." Sharpclaw paused then looked sharply at Sirius. "Might I enquire who it is that accompanies you? I can see the bond that binds you but I cannot deduce their identity." Harry shot a panicked look at Sirius but he was already transforming. Harry stared at his father, and as Sirius finished the transformation he threw himself in front of him.

"If you want to hurt him you'll have to hurt me too," he said bravely, although his voice trembled. Shocked but at the same time humbled that Harry loved him enough to do this Sirius laid a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's alright puppy," he murmured, "We can trust him." The child looked up at him doubtfully, somehow managing to press closer against his side, but Sharpclaw with his impeccable sense of timing spoke.

"It's been a long time Sirius, and you aren't the hot headed rascal I once knew, but I must admit such a bond took me by surprise." Sirius flashed a grin in his direction,

"That'll be the first time I've got one over you, and I have to say James never managed it either, you're too damn sharp." The goblin's booming laugh rang out and Sirius felt Harry relax with the realisation Sharpclaw was a friend. For him that had been the main purpose of the good natured insults they were trading, although it also happened to be a long established tradition between the pair of them.

Sharpclaw waved one hand in the direction of the chairs, "What business did you want today with the bank Sirius, Mr Potter?" He asked, looking inquiringly in their direction. "I've noticed the withdrawals from your account of course, so I expect it is something important." He paused, looking at Sirius expectantly.

"You are right as always," Sirius said with no more than a touch of irony, "We're here to claim Harry's position as the Heir to House Potter and Black and recover the portkeys to Potter Manor." The goblin raised an eyebrow but nodded all the same.

"We don't have many claiming their positions at age ten," he remarked as he sent a message flying down to the vaults, "But then again your situation is somewhat unique Mr Potter."

"Harry please sir," the child said quietly and Sirius saw the goblin's respect for his son rise as he nodded at the young boy,

"If you would do me the honour of referring to me as Sharpclaw," he replied, a hint of his warmer nature showing through. Harry smiled timidly in return,

"Thank you Sharpclaw," he replied formally then a hint of his bravery showed through. "And thank you for not turning Pa in." The goblin's smile was genuine as he addressed the young boy.

"I knew your Pa too well young one to think that he would ever betray James, not to mention that bond wouldn't have let him anyway. The Ministry may try to occlude us in regulations but we goblins have our honour, and there is no honour in condemning an innocent man to a terrible fate, particularly one which is Weard-Sworn as your Pa is to you."

Sirius felt Harry's sharp relief, and in that moment realised just how frightened his son had been about the possibility of him being taken away. He had felt the fear across the bond of course, but he hadn't quite realised the scope of it until it was no longer there, shimmering in the background. Heedless of their surroundings, although Sirius knew that Sharpclaw wouldn't mind, he pulled his child into his arms and he was relieved when Harry burrowed into the embrace. "It's alright puppy, I'm sorry it frightened you but nobody is going to take me away from you." Emerald eyes regarded him for one long moment, as if assessing his sincerity but then Harry nodded.

At that moment there was a rap on the door and Harry jumped off Sirius's lap as Griphook walked in and presented two stone boxes, inlaid with the Potter and Black Crests to Sharpclaw. The older goblin took them with a nod and the younger goblin turned and left the room as Sharpclaw laid the rings on the table. "The Potter Heir ring." He announced in measured tones.

With a quick glance at his Pa, just to confirm this was alright, and receiving a nod in exchange, Harry cautiously made his way forward, gently easing the box open. He gasped in surprise as he took in the ring supported securely in the centre of the box. The actual design was simple, a plain silver band with a deep red ruby set in the centre, the Potter Crest painstakingly carved into the facets of the gem, but the aura of power that emanated from it was clear to all the room's occupants. Harry cast a wary look in its direction before glancing back at Sirius for reassurance.

Sirius smiled tenderly at the child, and then with a single thought removed the enchantments on his own ring that kept it invisible and suppressed its aura. Seeing a similar ring - although a much more ornate one as befitted the Lord of the House - on his Pa's finger persuaded Harry that the ring might possibly be for him. Cautiously he reached out and brushed his fingers across the metal surface. When nothing happened Harry reached out and placed the ring on his finger.

There was a sudden flash of light and when the spots in their eyes cleared they could all see the ring sitting innocently on Harry's first finger. Harry was the first to speak, shooting a nervous glance at the ring on his finger, "Was that supposed to happen Pa?" He asked quietly, but Sirius nodded immediately.

"The flash was the magic confirming you were the rightful heir," He told his child "It means the ring is yours until you take up the Lordship, and cannot be removed until then. You can control it like I do with mine, just tell it to become invisible and suppress its aura and it will do so." The child nodded thoughtfully, taking in the information Sirius had given him before he turned to the other box. "Do I do the same with the other ring?" He asked and immediately Sirius shook his head.

"You aren't the only one with a claim so I've got to declare you as heir before you can wear it."

Sirius reached forward, plucking the Black Heir ring from its protective box, holding the ring loosely in his palm. With his other hand he gently took Harry's hand and placed it over the ring before placing his other hand over his child's and holding it there gently. Harry felt the ring bite into his palm but the warmth of his Pa's hands as they held his was enough to show him that no matter what happened in the ritual he would be completely safe.

Sirius smiled tenderly at his child before declaiming the ritual words that he had never thought he would use. "I Sirius Orion Black, Head of the House of Black do declare Harry James Potter, Heir to the House of Potter and my Godson to be the Heir of the House of Black from this day forth until the Heir becomes the Lord. By love, blood and magic so mote it be!"

Magic thrummed, and for the briefest moment the bond between them flickered into visibility, a thin golden chain connecting their hearts, but in the next second it vanished and Harry felt the weight of a second ring settle on his index finger. Pa squeezed his hand gently before letting go and Harry looked in awe at the rings that he resized to fit his finger. "You'll want to will them invisible and suppress their aura," Pa told him, "We don't want the whole Alley to know who you are after all, or that you're my heir."

A quick flash of fear passed through Harry as he realised precisely what would happen if he was recognised, and if people realised that he was Pa's heir. Frowning in concentration he focussed his attention on the rings, silently pleading them to turn invisible and to hide their aura. Slowly they flickered out from view and the magic seeping into the room first lessened and then vanished. Sighing in relief when the rings didn't suddenly appear when he stopped concentrating Harry turned back to his Pa to see him talking to Sharpclaw.

Noticing his child's scrutiny, Sirius turned towards him, "We've just got to go down to the Potter and Black family vaults, and then we can go and get you your wand puppy."

"If it would be easier Sirius," Sharpclaw interjected, "If you know what items you need I can use the Gringott's system to deliver them to this room and supply you with a blood-keyed money bag that is attached to the vault for any monetary expenses."

Sirius didn't have to think before he replied, "That would be greatly appreciated Sharpclaw, those carts would have been hell as Padfoot. Could I have a bag connected to the Black vault that I can key to Harry and myself please? And I need two of the blood bound portkey rings to Potter Manor from the Potter Vault if that's possible." The goblin just nodded, and within seconds Griphook had returned to the office and was sent scurrying down the corridors to fetch the bag and the device for retrieving items.

While they waited Sirius looked at Sharpclaw speculatively, "If I turned management of the investments of both the Black and Potter fortunes over to you, would you have enough time to manage them?" he asked suddenly, making the goblin glance up in surprise.

"I could make the time," he answered honestly, "But it would be difficult." Sirius nodded, mulling it over in his head for a few moments before he spoke again.

"If you manage the investments, you can have 30% of any profit they turn." He proposed, "I certainly can't manage them and there is no way I'd ask you to do so without giving you a cut." The slow grin that appeared on Sharpclaw's face was rather feral and Sirius received the distinct impression that both the Potter and Black coffers would receive a boost in the near future. Goblins were shrewd businessmen and he had just given Sharpclaw a rather large incentive to achieve large profits on his investments.

"I would be happy to take you up on that offer Sirius," he said, inclining his head in the man's direction, "Not many wizards would show such a high level of trust in a goblin or be so generous towards them."

"They are fools then," Sirius answered simply and a smile flashed over Sharpclaw's face as the pouch and the summoning device were brought into the room. A few minutes later the two portkeys were retrieved and the pouch was keyed to both Harry and Sirius and they took their leave of Sharpclaw.

Somewhat regretfully Sirius turned back into his animagus form and instantly Harry's fingers entwined themselves in his fur. He gave his child's hand a reassuring lick and felt Harry calm down slightly, even though the fear which had vanished in the bank was returning, albeit tinged with excitement. Padfoot navigated the Alley with ease despite the child clinging to his fur and soon they were outside the wand shop.

Harry hesitated, his fear returning full force. Sirius sent as much love as possible over the bond and lightly pushed at the door with one paw, causing it to creak and give way slightly. His action seemed to be the input Harry needed as the boy stepped forward, easing into the shop with Padfoot right behind him. The slight trill of an old bell hung suspended in the air, seeming to echo off the shelves and reverberate around the gloomy interior as the old wandmaker emerged from the shadows, silvery eyes turning to peer at them.

* * *

AN Hello all, hope you enjoyed the update.

For those who don't already know, this update was late because I am currently in my first lot of A Level exams (for those unfamiliar with British exams think NEWT's) and I have to revise.

For those who were wondering, 'weard' is old English for guard so 'Weard-sworn' means guard-sworn and Bardulf comes from old Norse meaning noble wolf. I know it is stretching things to describe Padfoot as a wolf, but he is a dog and I thought it was suitable. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and please review.


	17. Chapter 16

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 16**

Harry shifted nervously from foot to foot under the scrutiny of the wand-maker. The interior of the shop was gloomy, and there was a hint of oppressive magic mingling in the mustiness of the air. Harry didn't know what to say as the man continued to regard him, silvery eyes glinting through the dimness before the weathered face finally cracked into a smile.

"Welcome Mr Potter," He said quietly, "I wasn't expecting you for another few months but still, it seems only yesterday your parents were here, buying their first wands."

"Mahogany, 11 inches and Willow 10¼, good for transfiguration and charms respectively," Harry murmured before the wand-maker could. He had heard so much about his parent's wands that the words had just sort of come out and at Mr Ollivander's suddenly piercing stare he shrunk back against Padfoot.

"Quite right," the man murmured to himself, "Although I am surprised you would know such a thing?" The last statement was directed at Harry accompanied with a raised eyebrow and the child shuffled a bit on the wooden floor.

"I like listening to stories about them sir, I've heard them so often I remember the details." Ollivander threw a sharp look in Harry's direction,

"You are a most unusual child Mr Potter, not many would remember details like that, and I have to admit that you are the first person I have seen with a Grim as a familiar although it does make sense considering your history. It will be a joy finding you a wand." As he was speaking his eyes had drifted down to Padfoot, examining the dog, his eyes tracing the path of the bond, invisible to only a few eyes when suddenly he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Weard-sworn." The words fell into a silence as instantly both Harry and Sirius froze, although Mr Ollivander carried on, still in a shocked whisper. "I never thought to see one outside my books, I suppose that is why I mistook it for a familiar bond at first, that and they must be in their animagus form." While Ollivander had been rambling Harry had pressed as close as possible to Sirius, shrinking behind him and backing away into a corner as Padfoot moved in front of his child protectively, muscles bunching, ready to leap at the first hint of a threat.

Ollivander seemed to realise that he had lost his audience and he glanced up, disorientated to see Harry clinging to Padfoot's fur, fear unmistakable in his eyes. Quickly he hurried to reassure the child. "Don't be frightened Mr Potter," he said quietly, "Unlike those fools at the Ministry I know that the bond will not harm you, in fact there are few things that can give you more protection than that bond affords you."

Harry regarded the old man dubiously, he didn't seem like he wanted to hurt them or hand his Pa over to the Ministry but he was far too aware of what the consequences of discovery would be to be wary. "You won't tell anyone in the Ministry?" He asked suspiciously, still clutching onto Padfoot's fur, muscles poised and ready bolt at the first sign of danger.

At those words Ollivander let out a snort, taking both Harry and Sirius by surprise. "As if I'd tell those incompetent fools anything! Every year those dratted unspeakables come knocking, trying to get at information they've no right to and demanding that I tell them or they'll make the magic I use illegal!" A somewhat sly grin crossed his face, "Although they never seem to realise that irritating a wand-maker is a bad idea, especially the one that makes their wands. They never seem to be quite so cocky once every wand in the shop starts firing stunners."

Harry let out a small giggle, and he felt his Pa's amusement over the bond. It was quite fun imagining the people who had thrown his Pa in jail and forced him to hide, running away from an old man with all the wands in the shop flying after them and pelting them with stunners. The old man smiled at the child, "I have to say it amuses me also, but I presume you will want a vow?" He posed it as a question, looking straight at Sirius as he did so.

The grim nodded instantly, now Ollivander knew he was an animagus there was no point pretending that he couldn't understand what was going on, or that he was a real familiar. Inside he was pleased that the man had made the offer, he certainly wasn't going to let the old man walk away without taking a vow or being oblivated however that would have required him to switch forms, and this way limited the chance of further exposure, although,

"I will need you to transform or to reveal your identity because otherwise there will be a weak link in the vow."

A string of expletives formed quickly in his mind, but before one could find its way onto his tongue Harry was standing in front of him, determination shining in his emerald eyes. "I won't let you!" He cried, "You can't make Pa transform, the Ministry will come and take him and you won't make me lose him!" Sirius could feel the fear and sadness pouring off his child in waves and he was moving before he was even consciously aware of it. He pushed gently against Harry's side in a silent gesture of support and nuzzled the child with his muzzle.

Sirius felt Harry's determination give out a split second before the child collapsed against him, burrowing into his fur and clinging on with all his might and the stench of fear thick upon the air. He allowed himself a single growl at the wandmaker before he turned his full attention back to his child, nuzzling at the boy's face and sending as much love over the bond as he was able.

Slowly he felt Harry relax a little although his nerves were still jangling and he knew the boy was ready to either fight or run if it became necessary. But even as he reassured his child he realised it was unlikely that they would get out of the shop without Ollivander knowing his identity. It was a difficult situation, Harry needed the wand and they needed the knowledge of the bond to remain between as few people as possible, and he realised that as Ollivander had the knowledge to recognise the bond, he might be able to tell them more about it, and he knew he could do with the information, as all the information he had, had been gained through trial and error.

While he had been reassuring his child Ollivander had been regarding the pair, a shrewd calculation in his eyes. The reaction particularly from the child provided him with several compelling hints, firstly they were not hiding out of choice but rather out of necessity, as whoever was Harry's guardian was wanted by the ministry, and as such had probably taken the child without Ministry approval, but taken the child from a bad situation if their defensiveness was anything to go by. Secondly whoever it was would have to have been known and trusted by the Potters as the ritual required a parent.

He pulled the facts together in his mind and one name was screaming out at him but his instincts were telling him it couldn't be true. Sirius Black was wanted by the ministry, he was still at large four years after breaking out of Azkaban and nobody had seen any trace of him, and he certainly would have been trusted by the Potters, he was the boy's godfather and had been their secret keeper. And there was the sticking point, if it was Black, then he could not have betrayed them, the bond would not have allowed it and neither would the bond have taken him if he had already done so, so either he was not the secret keeper and he had been innocent, or he was wrong and it was someone else entirely.

Coming to a decision he waved his wand causing the shutters to fly down and the sign in the window to switch to closed. Harry glanced up at the sudden movement, instantly coming onto the defensive as he realised they were trapped. Seeing the fear and threat in the child's eyes Ollivander raised his hands, "I intend no harm to either of you, I just thought you would not want anyone to see your identity, particularly if you are wanted by the Ministry."

Something in the dog's eyes flickered, and as Ollivander watched the dog retreated into the shadows. He didn't see the dog rear up and become a man, but he did hear the frightened cry as the boy launched himself into the darkness.

Harry had seen Padfoot retreat and he knew what his Pa was about to do but he wasn't going to let him. He wasn't going to lose his father and he wasn't ever going back to his Aunt and Uncle. He flung himself after his Pa, only to run straight into his father's chest. Instantly Sirius's arms wrapped around him, tugging him straight into an embrace but for once Harry resisted the comfort.

"Change back Pa," he begged, struggling against the arms that held him as his voice cracked, "Please just change back, please."

"Shush Harry, it's alright puppy," Sirius murmured, tightening his grip on the struggling child and cuddling him close. He knew what he was doing was risky, but he hadn't received any sort of warning, and he knew that the fact Ollivander knew about the bond meant that he would hear him out at least. But his words seemed to have no affect on the child who was managing to work himself into a panic.

A quick glance up revealed that Ollivander hadn't come any closer, and he seemed to be waiting for Harry to regain his composure. Not having to worry about that, Sirius turned his full attention to his son, holding Harry as close as he could, murmuring soothing words and gently stroking the child's back whilst pouring as much love across the bond as he was able. Even then Harry was not calming down and it tore at Sirius's heart to know that this was something he had caused, no matter how inadvertently.

Harry didn't know what to do. His Pa wasn't changing back, and every moment he stayed human increased the chances that he would be discovered. He couldn't lose his Pa, he couldn't. Pa was the only family he had, the only person that loved him and if he was taken away he wouldn't have anything. Why couldn't Pa see that it wasn't safe, that he would be taken? His struggles gave way into sobs as the full impact of what would happen hit him, and he wished with all his heart that they had just stayed in France and that he didn't have to go to Hogwarts because then his Pa wouldn't be in danger.

Sirius felt the precise moment when Harry slumped down in his arms, his face buried in his shoulder and the small frame shaking with sobs. Tenderly Sirius cradled his child, constantly murmuring reassurances. Slowly the sobs gave way into hiccups but Sirius could still feel the fear that pulsed through his son. He pressed a kiss onto his child's forehead, whispering his apology before slowly standing; Harry balanced carefully in his arms as the child clung tightly to his father, and stepping out of the shadows to face the wand-maker.

To his credit Ollivander didn't let the shock he must have been feeling show on his face. He blinked slowly, taking in the sight of the wizarding world's most wanted criminal standing with his arms wrapped protectively around the boy everyone swore he longed to kill, a boy who's face was buried in Black's shoulder and who was clinging desperately to the man. He could see the bond glowing between them, gold and thick and he wondered how he had ever mistook it for a familiar bond, it was so clearly a Weard bond and although it was the first he had seen such a bond he could tell it was strong.

There were several beats of silence as the stared at one another, then, "You were not the secret keeper," Ollivander spoke levelly, "You did not betray the Potter's to Voldemort, and I am guessing that there is a lot more to the confrontation with Pettigrew than meets the eye."

Sirius nodded instantly, "We switched at the last minute, Pettigrew was the traitor, he betrayed James and Lily and when I confronted him, he cut of his finger, blew up the street and framed me for his crimes."

The grief in his voice as he spoke and the tenderness with which he held the Potter boy were enough to fully convince the man of Sirius's story. He knew that the man could not have betrayed the Potter's when he was Weard-Sworn to their son, and Sirius's story seemed to be the only logical reason as to why he would have gone after Pettigrew. But Ollivander could understand their caution and the boy's fear, he knew the ministry would not listen and that they would have Black thrown back into Azkaban or given the Kiss the instant they caught him.

And with that thought, "I swear on my life and magic I will not reveal the identity of Sirius Black or his animagus form, or the information of the bonding between Sirius Black and Harry Potter without their permission." A flash of light sealed the bond and he caught the grateful look Black sent him before he turned back to his godson.

"See puppy," he murmured, "Mr Ollivander won't tell anyone, and I'm safe here." Bright emerald green eyes snapped up and Ollivander had the uncomfortable feeling that those eyes were seeing straight into his heart. The moment was broken when the child looked away, appearing satisfied and slipped out of his godfather's arms, although Ollivander noticed that he kept a tight grip on the man's hand.

Ollivander shook himself and flicked his wand and his tape measure shot out, measuring the boy as he flitted around the shelves, selecting boxes, "I assume you too could do with a wand Mr Black? They must have snapped your original."

"I would be grateful," Sirius replied, "And also, you seem to know a lot about the bond and I'm afraid I know very little – only what I have discovered during the last few years and what Lily and James knew at the start – and I was wondering whether there was anything you could tell us about it?"

Ollivander considered the request carefully before nodding, "I would not normal give out such knowledge but there can't be a more suitable circumstance than this, but first your wands." He pressed the first specimen into Harry's hand with the terse instruction to give it a wave.

Feeling somewhat foolish Harry did so but the wand was snatched away almost immediately and another put in its place. As the pile of discarded wands grew higher, Ollivander was almost flitting about the shelves, so great was his excitement. "I haven't had so tricky a customer in nearly 50 years," he explained as he took back the 37th wand, "Most find their wand within the first ten they try, but you Mr Potter seem to be extraordinary and I don't doubt your godfather will be the same." He looked almost gleeful at the prospect.

The pile of discarded wands was teetering precariously on the spindly chair when Mr Ollivander emerged from the depths of the store, a dusty box held almost reverently in his hand. Carefully he presented the wand, and as Harry took it he felt a slight warmth in his fingers and a few sparks shot out of the end, although there was a strange feeling, almost as if it wasn't quite right, that there was something missing.

"You are certainly unique Mr Potter," Ollivander murmured as he reclaimed the wand, "It seems that this is your match however it requires a secondary core to be a complete match. Holly and Phoenix feather, 11½ inches, certainly curious. I will need you to come and chose a secondary core, but first let's see if your godfather will be as hard to match."

Again the pile of wands mounted higher and higher and Ollivander appeared to be almost skipping as he presented wand after wand for Sirius to try. "Haven't had two such difficult customers for years," he said a little giddily, "I has been a absolute pleasure and I still have the choosing of a secondary core, and potentially a wood as well to complete."

It was the 46th wand Sirius tried when he finally got a reaction, "Ebony and Phoenix feather, 11 inches," the old wandmaker murmured, "And this too needs adjustment, although in your case I fancy it needs a secondary wood rather than core."

With a sharp head gesture he led them into the rear of the shop, opening a barely visible door to lead them down into his workshop. "Mr Black first," he said quietly, "A new wood will take longest to bond with the existing wand." He hurried to the large cabinets that rose up on each side of the small room and quickly extracted nearly two dozen different branches. "Hold your hand over each, with the wand in your other hand and see which calls for you," he instructed, an edge of excitement in his voice.

It was the sixth wand he tried when suddenly Sirius felt a pulse of warmth shoot up his fingers. Reaching out he grabbed the branch before presenting it Ollivander. The old man's eyebrows rose, "Blackthorn normally does not work until you have suffered with it; however this piece seems to have already recognised this in you. It will make a fine wand."

The wandmaker took the wand, holding both it and the piece of blackthorn loosely in spindly fingers, turning them over and over as he examined them, muttering to himself in places, tracing a pattern here and there with his fingers on the polished wood. Eventually he seemed satisfied and he gave them a tense command to stand back. Sirius complied instantly, positioning himself so that Harry stood behind him, ensuring that the child would be protected from whatever piece of magic Ollivander was about to perform. He felt small fingers lock into the back of his shirt and he knew that Harry was frightened for him. He reached back and gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze and he felt Harry's grip ease although he noticed that the child never actually let go.

Ollivander was standing in the centre of the room, holding the wand and the new branch in a single hand. Quietly at first he began to chant, old words, unfamiliar but a lyrical sound Sirius had heard once before. Ollivander was speaking in the old tongue, the language used in any old magic ritual. He felt a thrill rush through him as the sound swelled to a cresdendo and a shining light built, enveloping the wand, eventually becoming so bright that he was forced to look away, shielding his eyes.

When the light faded a wand sat in Ollivander's palm, two woods intertwined throughout its length but harsh divisions marred the wood where they joined. However Ollivander did not seemed phased; rather he nodded in satisfaction and placed the wand in a stone blow engraved with a myriad of runes before covering it with a cloth that thrummed with magic. "It will take a couple of hours for the woods to reconcile," he informed them, "And whilst we are waiting I shall endeavour to craft Mr Potter's wand."

He moved over to a second cabinet, slim fingers darting through the many drawers and extracting a wide variety of materials. "I will not use any of these except for secondary cores," he informed them, "I find as the single base they are far too temperamental, however when paired with another main core they can produced spectacular results. Mr Potter if you will,"

A little gingerly Harry stepped forward, holding his hand over the cores just as he had seen Sirius do. He could feel a slight tingling in his palm and he moved in the direction it indicated, his hand eventually coming to rest over a long black feather. Cautiously he picked it up, feeling a thrill of warmth flood up his fingers. Turning, he presented it to the wandmaker who took the materials almost reverently.

"A thunderbird feather," he breathed, "Paired with a phoenix core. You will be able to do powerful magic with this wand, yes I expect great things from you."

Once again he gave the terse command for them to stand back, and again Sirius pulled Harry behind him, protecting the child with his body. He felt Harry peek round to try and watch the ritual and he didn't blame the child, he would probably never get another chance to see a wand being crafted however he remained alert, ready to cover the boy's eyes or pull his son behind him if it looked like things were getting dangerous.

A low chant started up, this one markedly different from the one that he had sung to join the woods. Before their eyes the shape of runes rose from the wood, burnished red and glowing. The chant was more melodic, less harsh than the one sung over Sirius's wand and as they watched they saw a hairline crack slip up the body of the wood, and it was into this tiny space Ollivander carefully inserted the second feather.

Instantly the chanting changed, becoming harsher and more guttural. Power was thick on the air and there was the lingering sound of a phoenix cry and a clap of thunder which resonated with the magic. The runes began to glow, shining brighter and brighter and slowly they began to move until they were dancing over the surface of the wood in a dazzling reel that spun too fast for the eye to follow. There was a sudden cry and the magic died as the runes faded back into the wood.

Blinking, Sirius passed his hand over his eyes to try and remove the after image of the runes from his retinas and beside him he could see Harry doing the same thing. Ollivander waited impatiently for a few minutes as their vision returned to normal before he handed the finished wand to Harry, an eager expression on his face.

As Harry's hand made contact with the wand he knew immediately that it was right. There was no trace of the incompleteness which had marred it initially and a large pulse of warmth shot up his arm even as a multitude of sparks erupted from the end, gold, red, silver, bronze and blue, spinning away into the darkness of the shop. Mr Ollivander clapped his hands in delight and his Pa was smiling down at him, pride obvious in his grey eyes. "Well done puppy," he said, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze and Harry grinned up at him, his own pleasure and delight shining in his eyes and rushing along the bond.

* * *

Hi all - I know that this is both late and probably earlier then you were expecting. Hopefully you all enjoyed it, thanks for all the support and please review!


	18. Chapter 17

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 17**

After a few moments Ollivander cleared his throat, "It will take another hour and a half at least for the woods to reconcile," he said once he had got their attention, "So now would be the ideal time to explain the old magic to you."

"I'm immensely grateful," Sirius told the old wandmaker as he bustled around trying to find chairs, eventually managing to locate two and levitate them over towards where they were standing, "Whatever you could tell us would be hugely useful."

"It's a privilege to share that knowledge with you, I have certainly been blessed to see such a bond in my lifetime," Ollivander informed them as he settled down on one of the chairs. Sirius followed suit, and Harry, quickly deciding that he didn't really fancy either standing or sitting on the dusty floor, clambered up onto Sirius's lap and instantly felt his Pa's arms wrap around him.

He wasn't as embarrassed by this as other children might have been. It might have been partially to do with the bond, and partially to do with the fact that his Pa had been the first person he could remember who had loved him and cared for him, and maybe even the fact that even in France he had had few adults in his life apart from his Pa, but he was extremely close to him. He knew precisely how much his Pa loved him, he could feel it every single day and he knew it was the best feeling in the world. It was very difficult to be embarrassed when he could feel all the love Pa had for him.

He suddenly realised that while he had been thinking Pa had been talking to Mr Ollivander and he tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear him say, "The only thing we've really discovered is the ability to project emotions across the bond both ways, not just sense them and there's a strange sort of sense I get when things might be dangerous which I think is the bond, oh and of course the ability to track and locate Harry no matter where he is or what wards he is under."

Ollivander nodded, looking very thoughtful, "You know more than I had expected, but then again you have lived with it for several years." He leant back on his hard chair, steepling his fingers together, "However from the summary you have given me I appears that you are lacking knowledge in several key areas."

He paused, a strange expression crossing his face and Sirius suddenly felt that the knowledge that they did not have would be best left unknown but there was nothing he could do as Ollivander gathered his thoughts together and started to speak.

"I suppose I should first start with the disadvantages, normally the emotion bond was regarded as a disadvantage, as many of these bonds would be used to protect important figures in society, princes and the like and it was seen as unsuitable however obviously that is not something that you see as a disadvantage, indeed," he said with a slight tilt of his head in their direction, "You seem to have discovered a large amount of hitherto unknown information on the emotion bond, purely because you utilise it and see it as a benefit rather than an unfortunate side effect."

There was another pause and Sirius felt worry rise in him as he saw that the old wandmaker's face was guarded with no hint of emotion slipping through. "The second main side-effect and disadvantage," he said slowly, "Is the fact such a bonding is for life, and the Weard will not only live as long as the person they are sworn to, unless they die to protect them, they also cannot survive beyond the death of the one they are sworn to."

The words dropped into a sudden silence. A flash of shock crossed Sirius's features before he composed himself. He should have known such a ritual would have a price, the was the reason that most of the rituals that came under the old magics had been banned and could only now be found in illicit texts or in the depths of old family libraries such as the main Potter and Black Collections. But the price was something he would be willing to pay. He knew he would never want to outlive his child, and it gave him the chance to be with Harry for the rest of his life and the ability to experience that along with him.

However while he was accepting, perhaps even slightly welcoming of this development he knew that his child would not be, and he could feel Harry's shock and he knew once the news broke through that barrier Harry would need him desperately. And with that thought, he tightened his arms, pulling the child against his chest and holding him there securely, one hand already rubbing up and down the boy's spine, comforting and soothing.

"Cannot survive beyond the death of the one they are sworn to." The words beat round Harry's head, the only thought in his mind. When he died Pa would die too, he was going to kill his Pa and it would be all his fault. Pa had loved him, protected him, looked after him, done everything a little boy could wish for and he was repaying that by killing him.

He felt tears well up. Why did he have to be the one to kill Pa? He loved his Pa and he never wanted to hurt him but now he knew he would and there was nothing he could do about it. The first sob tore itself from his throat. He was horrible, he had to be, only someone truly horrible would be responsible for killing their father. Then another thought burst into his consciousness – Pa must hate him now. The thought caused his tears to fall faster, streaking down his cheeks. He wouldn't blame Pa if he hated him now, but the thought hurt, and the knowledge that if he did, he would be able to feel that hate every day.

Suddenly he became aware of the fact that he was still sitting on his Pa's lap, Pa's arms wrapped tightly around him. A rush of shame heated his cheeks. He didn't deserve his Pa, not if he was going to kill him, didn't deserve his comfort. With that thought in mind he began to struggle, trying to get away so he could run and hide, to make sure he didn't hurt Pa anymore.

The arms holding him tightened further and he was pulled deeper into the embrace even as he struggled, trying to get free. A gentle hand rubbed his spine and even in the midst of his struggles he felt himself being buried in his Pa's love as he was snuggled even closer.

It was the shock of feeling the overwhelming love surround him that stopped his struggles. He'd been sure his Pa hated him now but all he could feel was the love Sirius was pouring out to him, tinted with concern at the edges. Cautiously he glanced up, he couldn't understand why Pa didn't hate him now, but his godfather's face was filled with nothing but love and concern for him.

He went limp in Sirius's arms, sobs still forcing themselves steadily out of his throat as he stared up at his Pa. Between one sob and the next he managed to croak out, "Pa I'm sorry."

Almost instantly he felt a kiss being pressed to his head, "No Harry," Sirius murmured, his voice filled with a wealth of tenderness, "There's nothing to be sorry for."

"But I'm going to kill you and it'll be my fault," the child sobbed out.

"No puppy, no," Sirius whispered vehemently, gentle fingers stroking the boy's messy hair, "That's not your fault, it's never going to be your fault." He rocked the child back and forth, cradling him as he had when Harry had been younger. He had some idea of the thoughts that must be going through his child's mind. How many times had he felt guilty about the deaths of his best friends, even though he had not been the one to cast the curse himself, and he knew it must be worse for Harry, when he thought it would be his actions that killed him and it would be directly his fault.

He pressed another kiss to his son's forehead, cocooning the boy in warmth and love. "Harry I chose the bond and I have never and will never regret that decision." He told him softly. Harry looked up, the confusion and pain marring his eyes sending a lance into his heart.

"But it's going to kill you."

Impossibly Sirius managed to snuggle the child closer. "No little one," he murmured, his voice gentle, "It's going to let me live. It will let me stay with you for your entire life, let me see you grow up and have children and grandchildren of your own and I won't miss any of it." He saw that his son was hanging on his every word and he continued to speak, voice low and soothing, "And yes it's true that when you die I will also die to but Harry that is a blessing. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and if you died I would have nothing left. To let me die when you do is a blessing. I will never have to lose you again."

Wide eyes stared up at him, drinking in his sincerity and very slowly he saw Harry nod. Sirius knew that the child didn't understand, and he was thankful that he couldn't and that he wouldn't for years yet but the fact that Harry accepted that it was not his fault was all he wanted. Relief seeped through him, tendrils slinking across the bond to his son as he loosened his grip slightly – reassured the child was not about to run. Harry directed up a shy smile in his direction and Sirius smiled reassuringly down at him, some of the pain leaving his heart as his godson relaxed against his chest.

Ollivander had busied himself with something else while Sirius's had been reassuring his child, realising that this was something godfather and godson needed to deal with privately, but feeling Sirius's eyes upon him, he turned back and resumed his seat. "I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you that but it was not something it would have been fair to hide." Sirius just nodded his acceptance of the apology, and Ollivander continued.

"That is the last of the disadvantages now there are several main abilities the bond confers to you, namely the ability to track Harry and find him no matter what wards he is under and the ability to sense future danger to Harry, usually described as a feeling of unease or a warning in your brain connected with a specific event or decision. Those are the two new abilities and the main attributes of the bond but there are many other side effects that aid you in protecting him."

He paused, mentally pulling up a list of the attributes before he continued. "You will be able to force Harry to transform into a secondary animagus form, namely a copy of your own, when Harry is in serious danger you can be pulled magically to him, the bond will increase the rate at which you both heal and you can force your magic to heal him faster even with what would otherwise be fatal wounds and lastly, although this has not been confirmed there are rumours that the strongest or oldest bonds could confer a slight telepathic connection, based off the emotion bond although such connections were extremely weak at best, not going much beyond shared dreams and a better sense of what the other needs or what their words mean."

Sirius had been listening attentively, nodding as some of what he suspected had been confirmed. It would greatly help them to have this knowledge and the fact that he now knew precisely what the bond could do would mean that they would both be less likely to be caught by surprise and they would be able to use the abilities now they knew they had them. "Thank you," he said sincerely and Ollivander inclined his head in response.

"It has been my pleasure and you are welcome to come and visit me at any time. But now I believe you wand is about ready and I'm sure I have delayed you enough already." With a smile in their direction he stood and strode over to the table and uncovered the wand, nodding in satisfaction as he examined it. Spindly fingers plucked it out of the stone basin and presented it to Sirius.

The instant his fingers touched the wand he felt warmth shoot up his arm and he knew instantly that this was the right wand for him. Idly his mind noted that the two woods were no longer marred but flowed smoothly into one another. Seized by a sudden urge to see what this wand was capable of, he murmured an incantation under his breath and he felt the wand respond instantly, magic slipping seamlessly through it. A delighted smile graced his features, after so many years without a wand and using an ill match he had forgotten the ease with which a bonded wand could cast.

Still smiling he paid the man, giving him the gold even when he refused it. "You've done something nobody else could have done," he told the wandmaker firmly, "Not only did make wands for us and gave us information about the bond, you heard me out. Allow me then to pay for the things you actually charge for." Despite further protests Sirius eventually managed to pay the man thirty galleons for the two wands and a pair of wandholsters, years of arguing with Remus, perhaps the most stubborn man on the planet when it came to things relating to his furry problem, paying dividends.

Once that was settled he turned to his godson, ruffling the child's hair affectionately. "We need to head back to the alley I apparated us to puppy, and then we can head home. Do you remember what the activation for the portkey is?" At Harry's nod he smiled at the boy before transforming back into his animagus form and pressing close to his child, even as the boy's fingers twined into his fur.

There was nothing else that they needed to do in the Alley until it was time to purchase Harry's school supplies, anything that Potter Manor didn't have they could order via owls and he knew that Harry was frightened enough without adding to that fear. Gently he nudged the door open with his nose and he padded out into the street and back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Nobody paid them any notice as the passed through the crowded pub and onto the streets of muggle London. Once they were safely back in the alley Sirius transformed and took hold of Harry's hand. He felt Harry grab his and hold on tightly even as they murmured the activation words and felt the hook behind the naval as they were pulled off to the first place Sirius had really called home.

* * *

Dumbledore paced his office thoughtfully. The Hogwarts letters for the next group of first years were beginning to be written, a year group that should include Harry Potter. It had been four years since the child had disappeared from Privet Drive and Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban, and since then there had been no sightings of either of them and the only reason that he had not given up hope was the fact that one the Hogwarts list Harry Potter's name was still clearly written. If the child had died it would have been removed and it was still there which meant Harry was alive somewhere and while the child was alive there was still hope.

But everyday Harry remained in Black's care the hope became slimmer. There was no knowing what the madman was teaching the boy, would Harry come to Hogwarts convinced he must join Voldemort? Dumbledore shuddered at the possibility. Of course there was hope that the man had seen the error of his support for the man and was raising Harry properly but after the kidnapping it was a slim hope indeed. Not to mention, the search was becoming increasingly disheartening. A few months ago they had done another sweep of the Black properties, the first one they had done since the initial check after the escape.

There had been nothing upon nothing upon nothing. It seemed that Black had been steering clear of his old properties and Dumbledore knew why. The man was clever and the Black properties would have been the obvious places to hide so that would have been the first place they would have checked and Black would not have gone to all the effort to escape and hide only to be caught so easily. Of course they couldn't discount the possibility he was living in a Black Property that was under the fidelus and as such they had never checked it but everyone seemed to think they had checked everywhere and there were no obvious memory gaps that would have been associated with a fidelus.

There had been one place where they thought they were going to find Black, the place Alastor and his team had visited that afternoon – there was evidence on the Black Chateaux in France that the wards had been raised and lowered recently, recently enough that Alastor had asked him to come out and take a look. It had certainly looked promising, Dumbledore had caught the traces of the wards, they were reasonably slight, indicating that Black hadn't stayed long but the real information had come from questioning the house elves.

Moody had noticed one was missing, a younger one that had been there when they had visited previously. The elves had told them that she was working on another estate but Dumbledore had guessed that that she was actually with Black – it would make sense as a house-elf would be invaluable particularly as they could move throughout the wizarding world undetected and they could purchase supplies without any risk. Dumbledore was all but certain the goblins had provided him with access to the Black fortune, they cared little for wizarding laws and the lack of a trial would mean they wouldn't even view him as a convict.

He pulled his mind away from that train of thought, it didn't matter how and where Black got supplies as they couldn't counter it. What mattered was the information the house elves had unknowingly given them. They had insisted that Black had never been there and they hadn't bothered to use veritasium, it wouldn't work if the elves had orders not to reveal information – orders which Black had almost certainly given them. But it was the wording that had tipped them off. They had repeatedly said "Master Sirius and the Young Master have never been here."

It was the words young master that had given the game away. Harry had been there and it was evident that to the elves mind's at least he was their master also. That thought both frightened and comforted him. Comforted him in the fact he knew Harry was alive and that he was not being mistreated or tortured, he knew what love was, but also frightened him as the fact Sirius was treating him well indicated that he got on well with the child which meant that the boy was almost certainly corrupted towards the dark.

But the pieces didn't quite add up. He hadn't realised it when he had originally spoken to the elves – he had been distracted by the confirmation that Harry was alive and seemed to be well cared for but thinking about it there were a few things that had taken him by surprise. The way that elves had spoken about Black, calling him Master Sirius, a level of familiarity that was unheard of in pureblood circles and it indicated that Black did not regard them as lower beings. It was an attitude that he would not have expected among Voldemort's right hand man, as the Dark Lord was known for his contempt of those he regarded as being beneath him, a place house elves occupied.

With a sigh Albus Dumbledore sank down into his chair. They could only keep searching but he had the sinking suspicion that neither Black nor Harry would be found unless Black wanted them found and that there was nothing he could do until Harry came to Hogwarts, if he came to Hogwarts, and only then they could try to minimise the damage Black had to have caused, but if Harry had been cared for and loved by his godfather Dumbledore knew he had a daunting challenge indeed, if it was even possible.

* * *

Harry's eyes grew almost impossibly wide as he took in the building before him. Having spent most of his life in small towns, in both France and England the house before his was a shock, not in the least as he realised it was his, not his Pa's but actually his. It was almost a classic fortified manor. It didn't have the size or opulent nature of the Black Chateau but to Harry's eyes it was magnificent.

A moat circled the building, fed by a small river that leapt and bubbled along. The house itself was built of a mixture of stone and timber, rising up only two stories but with four wings surrounding a courtyard and a tower overlooking the whole manor. On the far side of the river Harry caught sight of a cluster of buildings, many of which looked domestic in nature.

His Pa reached down and helped him up off the ground, where the portkey had deposited them. Harry had been so busy staring that he had forgotten that he was lying in a heap on the ground. He blushed as he felt traces of his Pa's amusement float across the bond even as Sirius brushed the dirt from his clothing. Harry continued to stare in wonder but he was gradually becoming aware of a strange feel to his Pa's emotions, something that was a touch sad and almost wistful. He glanced up, "Pa?" he questioned softly.

Sirius started before looking down to meet worried emerald eyes. "I'm fine pup, this where your Dad grew up, and I lived here too after I ran away, I hadn't been back since they died and it brought back some memories." He surveyed the manor once before he turned back to Harry, placing an arm over the boy's shoulders and forcibly pushing his nostalgia and sorrow. He pointed over at the cluster of buildings Harry had noticed before,

"That is the farm. Potter Manor is almost entirely self sufficient, mainly because of the farm. It extends for 100 acres and cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens are kept as well as growing grain and vegetables. I even believe there is a watermill and a dovecote somewhere. Usually the Potter's hired a retainer to work the farm and supply the house with meat, grain and vegetables but your Grandparents and the retainer were killed shortly before your Mum and Dad went into hiding so they never took on another one."

He saw Harry nod seriously, a slight hint of sadness floating across the bond. Sirius spoke again, trying to cheer the child up. "And you can't see from here but behind the house is a Quiddich pitch, and I think that would be exactly the right place to teach you how to fly." His distraction worked perfectly. Excitedly Harry looked up, his eyes shining as he looked at his godfather, "You'll teach me to fly Pa?"

Sirius chuckled, "Of course puppy, James wouldn't forgive me if I didn't teach you, he was completely Quiddich mad, not to mention its a skill every young wizard should have." Harry's eyes sparkled as they always did whenever Sirius told him about his parents. Even though he viewed Sirius as his father that didn't stop his joy in hearing the stories about James and Lily and learning everything he could about them.

"I'll teach you charms and spells as well." Sirius added, quickly bringing the child's attention back to him. "You are good at potions, you shouldn't have any problems with the first year stuff." He smiled down at the child, "You seem to have inherited some of Lily's gift in the subject, James could brew potions adequately but he was nowhere near a natural – it was only the fact that Lily tutored him throughout his seventh year that he got an E on his NEWT."

Harry had heard this before of course but it didn't stop him grinning as he heard it again. After a moment though the grin fell as his gaze came back to the house, resting rather firmly on the moat which had no drawbridge or bridge of any sort. "Um Pa?" He asked quietly, "How do we get in? There isn't a drawbridge." To his surprise his Pa just laughed. "There is a drawbridge puppy, it just won't appear until a Potter calls it." He paused then hurried on, answering the unspoken question in Harry's eyes. "You need to stand opposite the door, placing your hand on the stone by the moat and say, 'As Heir to the House of Potter I command that the Manor open unto me.'"

Harry nodded obediently and hurried to the outcrop of rock that Sirius had indicated. Placing his palm firmly down he intoned the words his Pa had told him and to his surprise he saw a drawbridge materialise in front of him. At his Pa's nod he stepped tentatively onto the planks and walked across the moat to their new home.

* * *

Hi all - hope you enjoyed the chapter and before you comment I know its a day late but I've got some sort of bug which delayed the update.

Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed and please leave a review!


	19. Chapter 18

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 18**

Harry had only just stepped inside the house when he found himself flying backwards straight into Sirius as something tackled his legs. His Pa caught him and steadied him, and it was only once he had regained his breath that Harry looked down to see what had collided with him and he was immediately face to face with a sobbing house elf. "Young Master has come back," the creature sobbed as it clung to his legs.

Harry looked up at Sirius with an expression that could only mean help. He may have grown up around Kitzy but the young elf had never tackled him in the same way this one had, not to mention he didn't know what to do when people started to cry let alone a house elf. Chuckling kindly at his son's expression Sirius leant down, "Hello Mopsa."

The change in the elf was startling. Instantly she looked up, her expression bordering between fear and wariness as she looked at Sirius. "Master Sirius has come back," she said suspiciously, "Master Sirius has come back with the Young Master but they say Master Sirius betrayed Master James and Mistress Lily."

Harry drew breath to defend his Pa. He hated it that people blamed his Pa for his parent's deaths, his Pa was the nicest person in the world and he would never be the murderer everyone thought he was. He had been the best Pa he could have asked for and even though he had never told Pa this, knowing that he didn't want to take the place of Harry's first Dad, he thought of his Pa as his father and there was no one else he would have accepted in that role. But before he could draw breath to tell the elf this Sirius spoke.

"I know that's what they say about me Mopsa but I never betrayed James or Lily, you know James was my brother in all but blood and I would have died before I betrayed them." The elf regarded him for a moment, her eyes drifting down to the empty air where they both knew the bond could be seen before she nodded.

"I believes you Master Sirius," she said eventually, "You couldn't have betrayed them and you've brought the Young Master back heres." Sirius smiled at the elf, who now she had decided that Sirius was not a threat, was almost bouncing with her excitement of finally having Harry and people back in the manor. "Would you please prepare bedrooms for us, I think James's and mine would be suitable." He instructed her. The two bedrooms were next to one another along a corridor with a connecting door and he knew Harry would prefer it if he was nearby.

"Kitzy, one of the Black Family elves has been caring for us when we had no access to the manor and will bring our baggage here shortly. I know the manor is large and in the absence of a retainer it is more work than a single elf can manage to look after the house and the farm."

"You is giving me another elf to work with?" There was definite hope in the elf's voice and Sirius nodded.

"Kitzy has been a loyal elf for the past four years and I believe that together you will be able to care for us and manage the farm." The little elf's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she nodded. "We's can be doing that Master Sirius." Sirius smiled and thanked her before turning back to Harry,

"We need to go the wardstone pup – the main blood wards will be up but there are other things you can activate now the manor is out of lockdown." Harry nodded immediately, he was going to do everything to make sure that he kept both him and his Pa safe. He was never going to let anyone take Pa away from him, he was not to lose the only person who loved him.

Sirius led him down a small tunnel that led into the depths of the manor and they were approaching the ward stone when Harry remembered something Sirius had taught him about ward stones, especially the family ones. "Why do you know about this one Pa?" he asked, "I thought they were hidden from anyone not in the family?"

The tunnel was too narrow for him to see his Pa's expression but he felt the flood of sadness which swept down the bond. Instantly Harry felt awful and he wrapped his arms as well as he could around his Pa, trying to comfort him the same way that Sirius had done for him so often. Somewhat awkwardly Sirius twisted round in the narrow space and sat down. Harry immediately climbed into his lap, snuggling up against him as he tried to convey how sorry he was, and tried to make him feel better. He felt his Pa's arms wrap around him even as he murmured, "I'm sorry Pa."

"It's alright puppy," Sirius murmured in reply, "You weren't to know." The silence stretched for several moments and Harry felt some of his Pa's sadness recede before Sirius spoke again. "When I was sixteen I ran away from home," he said quietly and Harry stared up at him, emerald eyes wide with shock.

His Pa had never spoken much about his childhood, he had told him stories about his time at Hogwarts and the things he had got up to in the summers with James and stories from after they had left Hogwarts and Harry had never really asked. At first it hadn't occurred to him and when he got a little older he had realised that Sirius got upset if he asked or only gave short answers so he had stopped asking. He had been curious but there were so many other stories and so many other interesting things to learn that he had put it from his mind and thought about other things.

"I came to the Potters," Sirius continued softly, "They took me in as a second son and pretty much became my parents. Most of my family didn't want me so your granddad decided to make me part of the Potter family too. It meant I am recognised as part of the Potter family too, and that I know about the family only areas but I could never be the Head of House." Harry nodded but didn't make any attempt to move from his position in his Pa's arms; he knew that at the moment his Pa needed him and he was not going to let his Pa down when he had been there for him so many times before.

They remained there for several more moment before his Pa pressed a kiss to his forehead before standing, "We'd better get the wards up puppy, I can tell you what to do but I can't manipulate them myself." Harry nodded but made sure to stay close to his Pa as they headed deeper down the narrow tunnel. Eventually they reached what appeared to be a dead end and Harry looked up at Sirius in confusion.

A hint of a grimace flashed across his Pa's features. "This door is blood locked," he said softly, "It needs a little of your blood on it before it will open and the ward stone will require the same." Harry made a face but he stuck his hand out, he would do anything to make sure that they would stay safe and he knew that his Pa would be as gentle as possible as the last thing he wanted was to hurt Harry, the protections however made that impossible.

He saw the apology in his Pa's eyes and felt his pain across the bond as he gently prodded the end of Harry's finger with the point of a dagger, drawing a small well of blood. Harry couldn't stop the grimace but he quickly wiped his finger across the stone, leaving a smear of blood behind. As soon as his finger was away his Pa caught his hand and healed it with a murmured incantation and Harry smiled up at him. His godfather brushed a light kiss onto his head as the stone slowly started to pull open.

Harry didn't know what he had expected but the small, rough hewn chamber decorated with a myriad of runes was not it. The room, if you could call it that, was dark with the only light coming from a single gem set in the centre of the room, and a handful of other gems that seemed to be set into the walls. They were all glowing softly and casting long shadows of the chamber walls, drawing the runes half in shadow.

But it was the crystals themselves which drew his gaze. They were large, the smallest being the size of his fist whilst the largest nearly the size of a football. He thought they were gems but he couldn't quite be sure, they were so large and they lacked the shine of a real gem but what else could it be? No stone could glow like they did and no stone would have the myriad of faces, each as smooth as a mirror and the edges razor sharp.

Facets of the crystals glowed with magic and he could fell the magic pulsing in this room, growing until it was almost oppressive within the stone walls. He knew without a doubt that this place was powerful and he didn't know how but he knew that the power was coming from somewhere, and it was that well of power that had kept his family safe through time and it was that power that was going to keep him and his Pa safe once again.

"You need to smear a little of your blood on the central crystal," His Pa instructed softly, "Then place your hand on the crystal, the magic in it will guide you to what you need to do." His voice was quiet, an instinctual response to the power and magic that vibrated from the stones, suffusing the chamber's very walls. Harry bit his lip as he held out his hand once more and he felt his Pa rub his shoulder comfortingly before carefully and as gently as he could, he nicked Harry's finger just deep enough to cause beads of blood to seep out.

Quickly Harry placed his bloody fingertip on a cool facet of the central stone and a scarlet stain spread through the stone. He cast a frantic glance back at his Pa although he didn't remove his hand. "It's what it's supposed to do puppy," his Pa told him quietly and he might have started to say something else but at that moment the crystal suddenly flared, the magic bursting outwards and immediately Harry's attention was pulled down to the crystal.

He didn't know how, but suddenly all the knowledge of how to manipulate the wards was there, all it needed was his command. Between one breath and the next he ordered the wards up on maximum strength possible when the house was on lockdown. Only humans which were personally keyed by blood into the wards by Harry or had Potter blood in their veins and meant no harm to him could get through and anyone who was foolish enough to try would find themselves in trouble.

The wards wouldn't kill outright, not even on the maximum setting but there were several potentially lethal defences and they were almost the perfect defence. Firstly the house was almost completely hidden, it was unplottable and there was a modified version of a fidelius covering the entire property. Only those who had been keyed into the wards could even be told the secret and the secret keeper was the Head of the Potter family or the Heir when no Head existed. And then there were the defences themselves.

It started with anti apparition and anti portkey – with the exception of the rings given to family members – wards, and strong muggle repelling and compulsion charms aimed at anyone who came wandering, be they wizard or muggle. If someone tried to beat the compulsion or managed to, and only a strong witch or wizard or a team of working together could do so, things became a little messy.

It started out innocently enough, repeated waves of minor spells and hexes, irritants for the most part, bat bogey hexes, avis charms, tickling charms, dancing charms, basic transfigurations on items of clothing, augementi charms, jelly legs jinks, colour changing charms and sticking charms. None of them were dangerous but their purpose was to wear an attacker down as they would be forced to keep up a shield and reverse the charms and hexes which would take up a lot of magical power and to ensure that they didn't take down the shield there were a few nastier spells in there such as stunners and body binds. Not only was it designed to waste magical power it would also make it more difficult to concentrate on taking down the wards themselves, and it would buy the manor's inhabitants time. It was never intended to stop someone but to make them easier to stop.

The next set of wards became much more dangerous, a whole barrage of offensive spells would assault the attackers, from stunners and body binds to fire and explosive spells. Nothing was intended the actually kill, only incapacitate but that didn't mean that if someone was unlucky enough or wasn't able to keep their shield up that they couldn't be killed although any intruders that were stunned or bound while in this level or higher would instantly be portkeyed to a small cell nearly a mile underground and at the far edge of the estate. Inside the cell food and water were provided, as well as a small bed and one wall was enchanted to be a single way mirror, to allow the Potters to see who they had captured. There were anti-apparation and anti-portkey spells in the cell itself and only the Head of the Potter family or the Heir could command the magics within the cell, either to release someone or bring them into questioning.

But it was the last stage which was the most dangerous. Not only did the same barrage of spells from the previous rounds continue to bombard the besiegers but it was only now did some of Potter Manors most feared defences come into play, the ground upon which the last wards were raised was a trap. Once you entered that area, the ground gave way, dropping any attacker 50 feet into a labyrinth before closing above them once more. Not even the strongest blasting curses could cleave through 50 feet of solid rock.

The fall itself would not kill an attacker, they wanted them to survive long enough so that they could be taken into custody and questioned but even so the labyrinth was deadly. Not only was it pitch dark but it was filled with a bewildering number of plants and golems all designed to restrain or incapacitate and unlike its name suggested, there was no way out, the only way possible was for the attacker to painstakingly carve out a passage to the surface and climb out. Not to mention that they had no food and the only way they could get water was through a spell which required even more magical power so it was very likely that before long they would collapse with exhaustion or hunger, and the moment they let their guard down they would be found and restrained.

Nobody had ever passed Potter Manor's defences, and few had made it as far as the trap but the stories spread by those who had, or those who had seen companions vanish before them before they turned tail and ran had spread throughout the wizarding world, not even Voldemort at the height of his powers had dared to attack Potter Manor, but there had been the definite feeling that he would come eventually, when all else was destroyed and then not even the Manor would have protected them, not to mention, it had been being used as a sanctuary for muggleborns during the war and James and Lily had preferred to raise Harry in a home where they could be certain it was not infiltrated.

But Harry didn't know this, all he knew was that the wards were up and he knew that he would have the knowledge of how to operate them if the house came under attack and he would be able to defend his home. He lifted his hand off the stone and instantly his legs gave way as a wave of fatigue swept through him, but before he could hit the floor he felt his Pa's arms catch him and he was pulled gently against a warm chest.

"The wards are up," he murmured tiredly and he felt his Pa's fingers start to stroke softly through his hair,

"I know puppy," came the whispered reply, "You did very well, now sleep while I sort the house out." Harry was only too glad to comply. He vaguely registered that Sirius had stood and was carefully carrying him up the narrow tunnel but before they reached the manor once more he fell asleep.

* * *

Harry blinked tiredly, raising a hand to try and wipe the sleep from his eyes. His other hand scrabbled around for his glasses, knowing that his Pa would not have put him to bed without putting his glasses somewhere within easy reach. Finding them he grabbed them and shoved them onto his face before looking around curiously. He could see immediately that he was in what would now be his room as all his things were spread throughout the room, placed on shelves and put away tidily. He'd rearrange everything of course but the fact it had been unpacked here told him strongly that this was definitely his room.

A quick glance at his alarm clock told him that it was around seven in the morning, it seemed that after he had powered up the wards he'd gone to sleep and he'd slept through the remainder of the afternoon as well as the night. A growling in his stomach spoke loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since yesterday lunchtime and he was now definitely hungry, and another glance round the room revealed that his Pa wasn't here either, and he knew that he didn't have a clue where anything was in the house so he'd have to find his Pa before he could do anything.

He saw that the room he was in had three doors and he wondered which he should try first. Quickly he decided that the best thing would be to look in all of them and then he could decide which one to try, because although he wouldn't admit it, he was feeling a little nervous alone in a house he didn't know his way around and he wanted to find his Pa so he wasn't alone anymore and he knew that he would be protected. The first door he tried revealed a hallway, and the second revealed a bathroom, but it was with the third that he struck gold.

The door cracked open to reveal another bedroom and his roving eyes caught sight of some of his Pa's favourite pictures adorning the walls. It was obvious that this was Sirius's bedroom and without any hesitation he headed into the room, a smile lighting up his face as he noticed the person asleep in the other bed. He crept forward, vaguely registering that he was in his pyjama's and that his Pa must have changed his clothes before he put him to bed. Stealthily he slipped round the bed until he was standing behind his godfather, grinning to himself he pounced on the sleeping form of his Pa only to find that the man rolled away and an arm reached out and captured him, pulling him close.

Instinctively he snuggled closer, even as Sirius's arms tightened around him and he found himself being tucked into a tender embrace. "Good morning puppy," The amused voice of his Pa came from above him, "Haven't you yet learnt that you can't surprise me in the mornings?" Pouting a little Harry burrowed a little deeper into the safe hold his Pa had him in. It was true though, even though he invariably tried to wake his Pa up this sort of way, he had never managed to get the better of him.

Of course Harry still wasn't aware that Sirius made a point of placing wards around his doors, specifically designed to wake him if Harry came into his room in the night. They were mainly to deal with the nightmares but Sirius had to admit that there were certain benefits, namely that he never got woken up by his godson in one scheme or another because while Harry hadn't inherited James's passion for pranks he couldn't deny that his child could create some very interesting schemes and plans if he felt safe enough to do so. Needless to say, it was usually Sirius that any such plans were aimed at, as Harry hadn't felt safe enough to target anyone else, and in their practice fights and dodging lessons he encouraged Harry to be a devious as possible. It was only natural that Harry would start trying to be devious at other times, although he had to admit that this side of his godson hadn't really come out until Harry had been living with him for over a year and a half.

Sirius pulled himself up into a sitting position, keeping Harry tucked securely against his side, he was just about to start speaking when he heard his child's stomach rumble and he slanted an amused glance down at his child, "Am I to presume by that awful growling that I just heard that a certain puppy might be a little hungry?" He asked teasingly. In response he felt Harry snuggle a little closer to him as a slightly sheepish, "Maybe," was heard. Chuckling lightly Sirius pressed a kiss onto his son's head before gently shooing the boy back to his own room, "Get dressed and then I'll show you where the kitchen is and I'm sure Mopsa and Kitzy will have something ready."

Harry didn't need telling twice and he shot off in the direction he thought would take him to his room only to chose the wrong door and end up in Sirius's bathroom. Sirius couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up and he smiled as Harry sent a rather betrayed look in his direction even as he pointed him in the direction of the correct door. "I'll show you round after breakfast," he promised him, "And it won't be long before you are running around here like you've lived here all your life."

A few minutes later Harry hurried back into the room to find Sirius waiting for him and his Pa smiled down at him before reaching down and taking his hand. He led Harry through the house, pointing out the different rooms and passageways. Harry tried valiantly to remember everything but soon gave up, settling for instead memorising the main rooms, he'd be able to explore the house later and if he managed to get lost in the passageways he knew he could call either Kitzy or Mopsa or his Pa would feel his fear across the bond and come and find him.

Soon they reached the kitchen and within minutes breakfast was ready and Harry quickly dug in. They had nearly finished breakfast when a sudden pop made them both jump, Sirius spun round, his wand already in his hand to see the figure of Tarbu. After a quick scanning spell to check that there were no tracking or control spells on the elf, he lowered his wand, "What is the matter Tarbu?" He asked sharply, knowing only an emergency would have dragged the elf away from the chateaux.

"The bad men came back Master Sirius," the elf said hurriedly, "They came and cast spells on Master's house and then they asked us if you or the Young Master had been there."

Sirius froze for a split second before he recovered, "When did they come?" He demanded, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his child's shoulder as he felt the boy's nervousness leak across the bond.

"Yesterday Master Sirius," the elf answered quickly, "We told them that you and the Young Master had never been there and they left soon afterwards." Sirius nodded to himself, he hoped they would take the elves' word for it but he knew that this still meant that he could not use the Black properties again while he was still a wanted man.

"What did these men look like and how many were there?" He fired off the next question rapidly and the elf paused before he answered.

"There were 15 men all in hit-wizard uniforms Master Sirius, and they were joined by one with a long silver beard and bright coloured robes. One of the men had a wooden leg and a magical eye."

Sirius frowned as he processed the information, so Dumbledore was searching too, and the team was likely being led by Moody. That indicated it was Dumbledore that was leading the effort to capture him and that meant that he had to be more careful with his plans for Hogwarts, and it also indicated that there were few who knew that Harry was also missing. At least that was a boon, it meant Harry would not be ostracised by his fellow classmates and that he would not be hounded by the Ministry seeking to put him in 'protective custody', not that they could do a thing seeing as he hadn't been given a trial and thanks to the intricies of Wizarding Law a suspect could not be tried in absenteena.

But there was still the problem of what to do with Chateaux Noire because if they suspected even for a moment that he might be using it as a base it was not a safe place to hide or for the elves to be. Coming to a decision he addressed Tarbu, "Put the Chateaux into lockdown and bring all the elves here to work on the farm. You may travel to the Chateaux once a week to perform general cleaning and maintenance but you are not to put yourselves in danger."

Tarbu nodded quickly "We will Master Sirius."

* * *

And there is the update - just to mention updates have moved pretty permanently to Saturdays every two weeks and for those who read Island of Hope, updates for that will occur on Mondays.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed! Please continue to review and support, each review is treasured.


	20. Chapter 19

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 19**

It was amazing Sirius mused to see how fast house elves could act when you gave them an incentive to do so. Less than twenty minutes had passed since he had given Tarbu his instructions but already the elves had put the Chateaux into lockdown which involved moving all furniture and items to the Black family vault and putting the wards up at maximum strength and had returned to Potter Manor. It had only taken another couple of minutes to give the elves their instructions but soon they were settled quite happily in the farm and Sirius knew that if they were not already fully self sufficient they would be in the near future.

Once everything was sorted Sirius continued the tour of the house, telling Harry about all the sorts of mischief he and James had managed to get up to in the hallways and rooms. He had expected it to hurt, and in a way it did, many of the memories he was now sharing he had hidden away and not thought of because it brought back the pain of losing a brother, because that was what James had been to him, and the Potters had been more of a family to him than his real relations. It was hard coming back here, into a place with so many memories but also being here was helping in its own way, helping him to remember the good rather than the bad, and to come to terms with the losses he had suffered.

Harry seemed to pick up on his strange mix of emotions, of the undercurrent of sadness that laced every word and story for he was uncommonly quiet. He had learnt rapidly as Harry had become to come out of his shell that his child was perhaps the most curious child on the planet and no lesson, whether it had been potions, astronomy or history had not gone by without him being subject to a barrage of questions from his child. But Sirius hadn't minded, he liked to answer the questions, he enjoyed the discussions and he knew that while Harry had a tendency to be shy and timid around strangers the almost constant questions were a sign of how much the child trusted him and it relieved him to have that trust.

A hand slipped into his, breaking him from out of his thoughts, glancing down he was met by the sight of anxious green eyes staring up at him, "Pa?" Harry asked worriedly, pressing himself closer to Sirius in an attempt to comfort him. Sirius sighed softly then wrapped his arms around the slight figure of his child and he dropped a kiss onto Harry's messy hair. "I'm alright little one," he murmured. Emerald eyes gazed back at him filled with disbelief and concern and Sirius couldn't help but be warmed by the obvious love his child had for him.

"I'll be alright soon," he amended quietly, "I've just all the memories coming at me at once and it's a little difficult." Harry nodded, but Sirius could feel hints of his confusion leaking across and he knew that his child couldn't understand but it meant so much to him that Harry was there with him and that he had the child. Drawing in a deep breath he stood, gently pulling Harry up with him. If he was honest with himself he knew that it wouldn't be the best idea for him to continue the tour today and it would be a good idea to do something else for the rest of the day just to give him time to come to terms with everything. He knew it wouldn't take too long, he just needed to become used to the place again but until then it might be sensible to avoid the complete tour for a few more days.

And on that note, "I've been thinking about what Ollivander said about the animagus forms," he said lightly and instantly Harry's attention snapped to him. Ever since the boy had been introduced to Padfoot he had loved the large black dog and he knew Harry had expressed a wish on more than one occasion that he could become an animagus himself and Sirius had promised that he'd start to train him once the child had his wand.

Chuckling at the eager expression on his son's features he continued, "I know I promised you that we'd start training and don't worry we will," he added as he felt a flash of his child's disappointment, "But I thought that I might be a good idea to see if I can get you to change into a copy of my animagus form, not only will it give you protection until you can master the transformation," here his expression turned a little mischievous, "You will have to learn how to walk again, and that is a skill best done in a controlled environment."

Harry glared slightly at his teasing but Sirius just laughed as he reached out to ruffle the boy's hair, even as the excitement building on the child's face and through the bond told its own story. Suddenly without any warning he scooped the child up and settled him on his hip. Harry yelped in surprise but he quickly regained his composure, wrapping his arms around Sirius's neck and burying his face in his godfather's shoulder. Sirius smiled as he kissed the messy black hair tickling his neck, before striding off down the corridors towards the duelling room.

"We'll practice in the duelling chambers, that way you can get used to things without any obstacles before I let you loose in the manor proper." A giggle greeted that statement and Sirius's bark like laugh rang out in the hallway even as the portraits turned to look at them, many with smiles on their faces as they heard life and mirth return to corridors that had stood empty and desolate for nine long years.

Reaching the duelling chamber Sirius swung Harry off his hip and settled him down on the floor. Quickly Harry bounded back to his feet and he stood, regarding Sirius with undisguised excitement. He ruffled the boy's hair fondly before concentrating on the magic of the bond. Ollivander had told him that it was possible but that didn't mean that he had any clue how he'd go about changing Harry into an animagus form and that was partially why he had suggested that they practiced, not only would it allow him to work out how on earth he was supposed to do this, but it would also provide a good distraction that would absorb all his attention.

Pulling up the magic of the bond he focussed on changing Harry into an animagus form, he didn't really know precisely what he was doing but he knew that the bond would never allow him to hurt his child and that this was supposed to be able to occur so hopefully things would work properly and sure enough as he focussed on the magic, a thin stream of gold blossomed outwards from Harry's chest, covering the child completely before he slowly started to shrink, fur growing over his body as he slipped down onto four paws.

It was nowhere as instant as the transformation was supposed to be but Sirius got the sense that such ease would come with time and practice and that the whole transformation today had only been as slow as it had been because he had been proceeding very cautiously, unsure of how the magic would respond. Finally the transformation was over and in the place of Harry a small black grim lay. He appeared to be the miniature form of Sirius's own form, although the grim lying on the floor had the distinct look of a half grown puppy, with his legs somehow a little too big for his body, giving the whole pup and gangly look. As he watched, the puppy raised its head, and looked around the room, curiosity shining in its eyes and flowing through the bond.

Harry didn't think he'd ever felt quite so peculiar in his entire life. Everything was so big, and even his Pa, who he'd never feared before towered over him, making him slightly nervous. Everything looked different, all the reds, greens, oranges and yellows had shifted until they weren't much more than a couple of colours and he could see blues, greys and purples so much more clearly, but it was not only his sight that had changed but also his sense of smell. He could smell things that he had never before considered to have a smell, and even smells that he knew had intensified and changed. It changed his perception of the world completely and that made him slightly nervous and he didn't quite know how to react.

But after a few moments he became used to his strange surroundings and the new way he saw the world as the instincts of the Grim rose up in his mind and he tried to stand only to promptly fall flat on his face. He heard a deep chuckle sound from about him, and he looked up with what he thought was an indignant look.

Unfortunately for Harry it is rather difficult for a puppy to look indignant and he only made Sirius chuckle further as the man reached down and scooped the puppy up, holding a suddenly wriggling ball of fur gently in his fingers. "Hello there Harry," Sirius murmured, his fingers stroking the soft black fur as Harry stopped wriggling and relaxed in his Pa's hands.

The man smiled gently as he carefully checked over the puppy, making sure that everything had gone smoothly, and there were no obvious issues with the transformation such as missing body parts. Absently he noticed that the puppy seemed to be a little younger than he would have expected, but he knew that it was rare for children to become animagi, and usually when they did so they would mature very slowly, only coming into the adult form of their animal when they were in their late teens or early twenties. It hadn't been a huge problem for any of the Marauders but they had noticed that it had taken them several years after the initial transformation to attain full growth.

Satisfied there was nothing amiss, or at the very least, nothing obvious, he sat Harry back down on the floor. "We'll start with teaching you how to walk Harry," he instructed softly, "Once you've mastered that we'll see if we can get you used to his instincts, I know they are a little disconcerting at first." The puppy gave a whine which may or may not have signified an agreement but Sirius wasted no time in transforming into his own animagus form.

There were several reasons for this, firstly he wanted Harry to be able to identify him in his animagus form and for the puppy to be able to relate to him in that form, and secondly he remembered how difficult it had been to try and teach himself to walk, even with James trying to help him - once the boy had finished laughing of course and he knew it would be far easier for him to teach Harry when he was a dog.

The instant his Pa shifted the fur on the back of Harry's neck rose before he caught the smell of his Pa. This new dog was pack, was his father and every bone in the puppy's body recognised this. His tail wagged against the floor and he tried to push himself up once more, this time he managed to get onto his front legs before he collapsed, a small whine escaping through his teeth.

A second later a cold nose nuzzled against his side, and Harry raised his grey eyes – he was a complete copy of his Pa's animagus form, just in miniature – to see the large form of a great black grim standing beside him, gently encouraging him to get to his feet. Leaning rather heavily on Sirius's front forepaw he managed to get onto all four paws and he stood, trembling against his Pa's leg as he got used to the sensation of standing on four feet.

He felt his Pa's pride flow across the bond and that gave him the courage to try and take an experimental step forward. Immediately he fell, and the only thing the prevented him from ending up as a furry heap on the floor was his Pa's nose as the larger Grim, gently supported the pup and nudged him back onto his feet.

Several hours passed until Harry could walk and run unaided but neither of them felt it was time wasted, and when Sirius finally changed back all traces of his previous dark mood had vanished. Concentrating once more on the magic he returned Harry to his natural state and this transformation was a lot quicker as a rumpled boy, his black hair messy and his glasses a little askew appeared on the floor, in a somewhat awkward position as the transformation had caught him just as he had over balanced and tumbled to the floor.

The child threw an indignant look at his godfather but that look quickly melted into pure and unadulterated excitement and wonder. "That was brilliant!" Harry burst out, "Can we do it again?" Sirius managed to prevent himself from chuckling at the pleading in his child's emerald eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow," he told the boy, amusement laced through his voice, "But I think lunch, and then perhaps your first flying lesson, or," he glanced out of the window, noting the dark clouds that threatened a downpour in any minute, "I think I might be better if flying was postponed, and I could start your magical training."

* * *

Dumbledore paced his office restlessly, as much as he hated that it had become necessary, that he had not managed to locate the child before now and ensure he was safe and out of Black's clutches, he had been unable to and he had the suspicion that unless it was what Black wanted, they would not be found and neither would Harry attend Hogwarts and that meant he would have to do damage control.

He had never released the initial news of Harry's kidnapping to the authorities, the muggle world hadn't noticed – well they had but a few well placed oblivates had sorted that issue out – and the Wizarding World were still completely oblivious. It had seemed like a sensible decision at the time, don't flash it up in the news and prevent Black from killing the child out of desperation or going to ground, and at that point he had honestly thought, the even though Black had escaped Azkaban that they would be able to find Harry quickly, heal any damage that Black had inflicted and then place him with a well meaning light family, because now the Blood Wards had fallen there was no protection left for the boy back in Privet Drive.

But as the weeks had stretched into months and then into years he had begun to find himself losing hope and he was being forced to contemplate what he would do if the unthinkable happened, that they sent out the letter and received no reply, if Harry didn't attend Hogwarts. He knew he couldn't reveal that the child had been missing for five years, kidnapped by Black and he had hidden that information. Neither the public nor the Ministry would understand that he had done what he did for the greater good, that is was imperative that Black was not alerted to those hunting him.

But if Harry Potter did not show at the sorting there would be questions raised, questions that he would be loath to answer. He paused for a moment as an idea occurred to him, he would know if Harry was going to attend Hogwarts by July 31st, and it would be relatively simple, during August to notify the Ministry that Harry Potter had just been kidnapped and would need to be recovered will all haste.

It wasn't the riskiest strategy he had thought of, although it certainly had its dangers, not in the least that if Harry was found and contradicted his story things could get ugly very quickly, however he consoled himself with the thought that if he hadn't been able to find Harry, it was highly unlikely that the Ministry, with all their incompetence would find him, and even if Harry was found, he knew that he was more likely to be believed than a traumatised child.

He pulled himself together. All he could do was keep up the search, and do whatever was in his power to try and find the boy but the situation was out of his control, all he could do was wait and hope, and after five years even that hope felt faint.

* * *

"Pa!"

Sirius looked up in amusement as his child came barrelling through the corridors and into the study, his messy black hair ruffled even further by the speed at which he had raced down the hallways. In one hand he clutched a broom as his green eyes were pleading as he gazed up at Sirius. "Can we go flying today Pa?" Harry asked eagerly, his excitement spilling over the bond.

Sirius had taught him how to fly a few weeks ago and Harry had taken to it instantly and Sirius was sure that he would be a better flyer than James ever was. They had enjoyed several days where they spent at least an hour flying but then the English weather had taken its toll and for the last two weeks it had been nothing but downpours. While he knew that matches were played in such conditions at Hogwarts Sirius had been loath to let his child fly, especially as Harry hadn't been flying for very long, and if he did get injured, something that was exponentially more likely in the rain, there would be no safe way to get him medical help.

As such they had been grounded the last two weeks, and while there had still been plenty of things to do, lessons in defence and magic, and sparing and dodging to practice Sirius could tell that his godson had chafed at being on the ground. He was rapidly learning that Harry loved the freedom of the air and had a passion for flying that easily outstripped what both he and James had had. For Harry, instead of it being about Quiddich, flying was about freedom and the ability to go anywhere and everywhere. And when you had been hiding for nearly as long as you could remember, no matter how much you preferred hiding to where you would be otherwise, you still cherished every scrap of freedom that you could get.

Sirius looked down at his child's beseeching face and glanced out of the window, noting that the sky was clear before he reached out and gave the child a hug. "I think that can be arranged puppy. Just let me get ready and fetch my broom." A second later he had the air knocked out of him as a small boy collided with his mid section, wrapping his arms around him and chanting thank you over and over again.

Sirius just chuckled, stroking the black hair softly for a few moments before he gently disentangled Harry's arms from his waist and propelled the boy with a light shove and a quiet "Get ready and meet me in the hall in ten minutes," in the direction of the door before heading up to his room to find his flying gear and his broom.

* * *

They came back to the house late that afternoon, windswept and laughing but no matter how much his child tried to hide it Sirius could feel Harry's tiredness slipping through the cracks in his defences and across the bond and although it was time for a charms lesson, Harry hadn't cast more than two spells before he needed a break. Thankfully it wasn't long until supper and straight afterwards Sirius put Harry to bed. He might have been getting a little old to be tucked in at night but Sirius was going to do it until Harry came out and told him that he didn't want him to do so.

Mere minutes later the child was asleep and Sirius rose, heading for his study. In the few weeks they had been here he could already tell where Harry's aptitude when it came to magic would be, he didn't have either of his parent's flair at Charms or Transfiguration. Although Harry was good at both subjects he didn't have the natural ease that Lily and James had each possessed respectively, however he more than made up for it in Defence.

Even after a few lessons Sirius could tell that his godson was going to be a force to be reckoned with when it came to defensive spells and duelling, he had mastered some of the basic jinks and hexes extremely quickly, and he had even managed to cast a shield in their last lesson. It hadn't held, it had barely been more than thin blue disk of magic and it wouldn't have held up to any sort of magical assault but Harry wasn't even a first year, and yet he had just cast a third year charm, albeit an extremely shaky one. Sirius was incredibly proud but the training had brought it home to him, next September Harry would be going to Hogwarts and he had to ensure that his child was still protected there.

He couldn't let Harry go alone, he knew that much. Dumbledore had to know that Harry had been taken from the Dursleys even though Ollivander's reaction indicated that the public did not know that Harry had been 'kidnapped', and therefore he knew that once Harry was at Hogwarts he would be in danger from Dumbledore, and at risk of being sent to the Dursleys again, and he didn't trust the Ministry to keep their noses out of Harry's guardianship, and he had no intention of his child being taken from him.

It was too much of a risk to send Harry there alone, even if his child would know basic defensive spells and he knew martial arts. But he had been stumped on how to ensure Harry was not alone until he had seen Ollivander's reaction to them. He had thought that Padfoot was Harry's familiar at first and he was well aware that it had only been because the man had a huge working knowledge of bonds and old magic that he had been able to identify the bond as a Weard Bond, and from his time in the Auror force he had learnt that the spells to identify bonds, and familiar bonds did not show the type of bond, merely that a bond existed and as the knowledge of the old magic's were restricted nobody would assume it was anything but a familiar bond.

Under the Hogwarts Charter they were bound to allow a familiar to accompany any student, as the separation for any length of time could be dangerous to both wizard and familiar, and the rules were written to ensure that students didn't die, therefore under those laws they couldn't prevent him from attending if he was 'proved' to be a familiar.

Of course that strategy had risks, not the least that if he was caught with an animagus reversal spell he would be caught, but foreseeing this precise difficultly, albeit before he realised that he would be able to travel to Hogwarts with Harry to ensure his child was safe he had begun to work on a special shield charm that would shield against that spell, and that spell only.

It was quite a complex piece of magic but it wasn't the first spell the Marauder's had invented, heck the map was almost entirely their own creation and the spells they had used to tie the map to the Hogwart's wards themselves were the only ones of their kind in existence. The only problem he had been coming up against was that the spell couldn't be applied to a living being, he could make it cover a living being but it would not stick as it were, and the affect would wear off in a few minutes.

However he thought he had managed to find a way around the issue, namely that when applied to an inanimate object the spell would hold indefinitely, now all he had to do was apply it to an appropriate object that he could wear, either as a dog or as a human, provided it would still apply once he was transformed. He was currently experimenting and he was fairly confident he would get it to work sometime in the next few weeks.

He was also trying to create portkeys which would work on the Hogwarts Grounds, the Marauder's had discovered a lot about how the wards worked when they had created the map, and now they were living in Potter Manor Sirius had managed to locate their old notes, and he was hoping he'd be able to create portkeys which would work, in a similar way to how the Headmaster could create portkeys which worked in Hogwarts. But just in case he couldn't get that to work he was also placing a linking spell on a pair of pendants which he would then link to the manor, the aim was that he could activate the pendant allowing the elves to know they were in danger and to bypass the wards to reach them and bring them to safety.

He hoped it would be enough, and he knew he would plan harder and harder the closer it got to September because Harry was his child and he was damned if he'd let him go to Hogwarts without the best protection he could give him. He loved the child far too much to ever lose him.

* * *

Hi all - thanks for all the reviews and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Anyway, please review and I'll see you all soon!


	21. Chapter 20

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 20**

Life in Potter Manor quickly settled down into a regular schedule. The first several weeks had been a bit of an adventure for both of them, Sirius as he came to grips with his history and living with a permanent reminder of the friends, no family he'd lost, for the Potters had been his family more than the Blacks had ever been. Harry was invaluable there, the bond allowing his child to know precisely when he needed something to cheer him up and gradually the ache had receded. It had not left, and he was a fool if he though it ever would but it was bearable.

He had thought he had come to terms with his grief while they had lived in France, and in a sense he had, he had accepted the death of Lily and James but being in the manor had been a bit of a blow as he had been faced constantly with memories of the years he had spent here with James and it had taken time to come to terms with that. But he was managing and he knew that he had almost won.

Harry had also had several adventures although his thankfully had been a lot less troubling than his Pa's. The large manor and grounds with the myriad of passages and strange rooms that were hidden in a whole variety of interesting places were perfect for a young boy to explore and he had spend many blissful afternoons getting as familiar as possible with the manor and getting lost and found again.

And then there was the farm itself. Despite the fact they had lived in a small town in France, Harry still hadn't have much contact with a rural existence and often, when there wasn't a downpour Harry could be found down at the farm, either in the stables with the horses or out in the orchard and fields with the cows and sheep. The Potter's had two horses, both large Shire horses which pulled the ploughs in the fields and did the other heavy pulling required on a farm. For a boy who had grown up with cars, trucks and tractors the idea that you would need a horse to pull a plough was a little puzzling but Harry loved that they did on the farm because otherwise he wouldn't have any horses to visit and attempt to ride – it was lucky that the two animals were large and placid and that a house elf was always on hand should the 'Young Master' do anything too silly or dangerous!

Harry was also still in contact with his friends from France, a fact which surprised Sirius though perhaps in hindsight it shouldn't have. Harry had been writing to Remus with remarkable discipline for a child for several years now and it was only to be expected that he had transferred that to his friends. Still Sirius would be surprised if the contact stayed for that long, regardless of how disciplined Harry was with letters he knew how hard it was to keep contact, especially for children who didn't see either other often, and were at the stage where they were growing up and their paths were diverging.

The lessons were coming along well, Sirius was over the moon with Harry's progress in defence, he was certain his child had a talent in that field, and that combined with the martial arts and dodging practice he had done while they lived in France would make him a formidable fighter in time, and he was sure that his child, even with what he knew now would be easily able to defend himself and win against all the current first years and most of the second years and hopefully by the end of the year he would be able to hold his own against most of the third and fourth years, not defeat them but to be able to hold his own for long enough for someone to get help and for the fight to be stopped or sorted out by a teacher.

Hopefully it would also be unexpected and Sirius knew all too well that sometimes it was the ability to do something unexpected, or to be able to defend yourself when nobody thought you were capable of doing so could buy you precious seconds, and it only took a second to activate a portkey or call an elf. He hoped with every fibre of his being that he was being overprotective, that Harry would never need what he was teaching him but in his heart he knew that that hope was false.

It hadn't just been the ministry he had run from, although they had been the greatest danger for them at that point. He knew far too many death eaters had walked free and Peter was still out there somewhere. They were safe where they were and once Harry was out in the Wizarding World he would be a target, but as much as he longed to he couldn't hide Harry away forever. The world would come looking and Harry would grow up and take the freedom that had be denied him, and when that happened he would be at a disadvantage if he hadn't been part of that world, if he didn't have any friends, if he didn't have social interaction and being at a disadvantage could get his child hurt or killed.

So as much as it hurt and worried him, Sirius was forced to acknowledge that it would be best if Harry went to Hogwarts. He would be damned if he let his child into that vipers nest without as much protection as he could offer him and a failsafe way to ensure he got home again in the holidays and summers but Harry would go to Hogwarts. And seeing as the Wizarding World had no idea that Sirius had him if the reaction of Ollivander was anything to go by, Harry would be safe from them, and he would learn and grow and Sirius would protect him from the Death Eaters and Dumbledore.

Nobody would think an eleven year old boy would be a danger, and although he knew that Harry would always be famous at Hogwarts he would have the opportunity to be normal and do what was expected of him. Frankly he knew his child would be in more danger if he didn't turn up, people would ask why, would begin to look and sooner or later they would make and mistake and they would be found. As long as things appeared to be normal Harry wouldn't be bothered hugely, and he would be around to ensure that when Harry was bothered it could be sorted quickly. He was reminded of an old saying he'd heard once, the best place to hide a tree is in the forest.

And that was what he intended to do. He'd hide Harry in plain sight, just another child at Hogwarts, albeit a famous one and he knew the pureblood elite paid little attention to their children, except to teach them about their world and their family's standing within it. His parents had been exactly the same, subscribing to the position that children should be seen and not heard and they paid little attention to their children until they reached OWL level and that would protect Harry. He would be ignored as a child by those who would do him harm until he was old enough to defend himself.

It was ironic really he thought. They would refuse to see Harry as a danger until he had received enough training to actually be a danger and their inaction would mean that when they started to move against him they would be unable to. Harry would be able to defend himself and would have friends and allies in the Wizarding World who would be able to support him. He would deal with Dumbledore, and keep him safe from that angle but whatever happened he swore to himself that his child would be safe.

* * *

Harry stared at him, a curious mixture of excitement and fear pulsing across the bond. "We're doing what?" the child whispered, emerald eyes wide as they regarded Sirius with nothing less than unadulterated shock. "We're going to Diagon Alley puppy," Sirius told him tenderly, carding his fingers through the child's messy mop. "I've talked to Ollivander and he's going to let us floo into his shop and then we are going to go and explore the Quiddich shop and a few other places. It will be fun little one."

But Harry was already shaking his head, "You'll get caught Pa," he cried, "I don't want to lose you!" Instantly Sirius sank down onto his knees and opened his arms, Harry flew into his embrace and Sirius held him tightly pressing a kiss onto his child's forehead. "You won't lose me Harry," he murmured comfortingly, "Nobody but Remus knows about my animagus form and he isn't in the country at the moment. We've been to Diagon Alley before and nobody has ever suspected a thing," He could fell that Harry was beginning to believe him but he continued to speak quickly and softly. If he was going to go to Hogwarts with him Harry needed to be sure that their ruse would not be discovered.

"And anyway Harry, even if someone suspected I was an animagus I've invented something that will prevent them from transforming me so they wouldn't be able to show it was me. You will put your contacts in and we'll cover your scar with a bit of makeup and you'll wear a cap to hide your hair. Nobody will recognise you and you will get to spend some proper time in Diagon and experience some of the good things about living in Britain."

"Okay." The agreement was softly spoken but Sirius could sense that his child did believe him and he was glad for that. He didn't want to confine Harry to Potter Manor for the rest of his life, even though his instincts were screaming for him to do so he knew it wouldn't help his child in the long run so he ruthlessly suppressed them. Harry needed to be a normal child, to experience the world he would have been raised and lived in if it hadn't been for that thrice damned Halloween.

Sirius pulled him close once more, feeling Harry relax into the embrace before straightening and reluctantly releasing him. "Go and put your contacts in," he instructed quietly, "Then come back and I'll deal with the makeup and the cap." He received a nod before Harry sped down the corridors, his socked feet slipping and sliding on the wooden floors.

About half an hour later Harry was ready and Sirius had triple checked the collar and the collar tag he was going to wear. The anti-animagus revealing spell he had placed on it was the strongest he had been able to cast as he had placed it on the metal tag. From his testing he knew it would withstand over 100 castings of the spell and it would be able to resist multiple castings of up to twenty simultaneously.

They were going to floo into the back of Ollivander's shop, Sirius would have to floo in human form but he had be owling Ollivander for several weeks now and the man had readily agreed to make sure that they had the floo address to his back room which was closed to the public and to speak to them before they went into the Alley as well as letting them use the floo once more when they were heading home.

Sirius led Harry over to the fireplace and taking a handful of powder he stepped into the fire, Harry standing next to him as Sirius made sure he kept a tight grip on his shoulders. Harry was a little old for him to be flooing with Sirius, but seeing as the child had never flooed before and their situation was a little precarious Sirius did not intend to take any chances that Harry could get lost or that they could be separated.

"Ready?" He asked quietly and he saw Harry's determined nod. He released the powder and the next second later they were gone to reappear in Ollivander's back room. Sirius instantly found himself hanging onto Harry for dear life to prevent the boy from catapulting headfirst out of the grate. It appeared that he would have to give his child lessons on flooing when they got back to the manor.

He pulled them both back onto a level footing before stepping out of the grate, with one wave of his wand the ash and soot vanished and he turned to the figure of the wandmaker. "Thank you for allowing us to use your floo Garrick," he said politely, but the old wandmaker just shrugged him off.

"It was nothing," he said, waving the thanks away, "You provided me with the greatest challenge of my career and I have enjoyed our correspondence immensely. It has been so long since another wizard has asked me to help with regard to the creation of new spells and frankly I find your projects fascinating." Sirius smiled at the man's sincerity and he had to admit that Ollivander had been a tremendous help when it had come to the spell creation. The man's knowledge was astounding not to mention the fact that he was well versed in many aspects of old and ritual magic which had proved invaluable. Sirius could certainly see why the Unspeakables had been desperate to discover some of his knowledge.

Harry was standing a little uncomfortably behind Sirius. He knew that Ollivander wouldn't betray them or hurt either of them in anyway but after so many years of being on the run from the magical world and knowing full well what would happen if his Pa was ever caught had made him wary. The old wandmaker glanced over at the child, a slight frown setting on his face as he saw how the boy was half hiding behind the figure of his godfather. Crouching down to the child's level he addressed him directly,

"Hello there Harry," he said quietly "How has that wand been performing for you, Sirius has told me you are getting very adept at using it." Harry flashed a quick look in the direction of his godfather, receiving a slight smile in return. "It's very nice," he replied politely, "It makes is much easier to cast spells and its really good at defensive spells and jinks!" His voice had risen during that sentence as some of his wonder and excitement grew in his voice, overpowering the initial wariness. Ollivander let out a delighted chuckle at the boy's enthusiasm. "I'm glad to hear that," He replied, "That wand is one of the finest that I ever crafted and it had a particularly affinity for defence. It certainly sounds like it is serving you well." He straightened, pleased that the child had lost some of his fear, and then turned to Sirius.

"You said there was a matter you wanted to talk to me about," he said seriously, "Something too dangerous to put in a letter?" Sirius nodded, his thoughts immediately turning to the problem he needed to talk to the wandmaker about, even as his fingers rubbed gently through his child's hair in a silent message to wait patiently for a couple of minutes.

"Yes," he replied quietly, "I know you originally took the bond to be familiar in nature, so would such a deception stand for those who were not versed in the old magics or is it something that could be quickly exposed by a spell?" He paused for a minute then he spoke again, "I suppose what I am really asking is how bonds such as these are detected and how would one differentiate between them or could this bond be taken for a familiar bond if they lacked knowledge of such bonds?"

Ollivander's eyes narrowed and he started to pace as his mind flicked rapidly through the options. Eventually he spoke, "There is certainly a spell used to identify bonds, however it is so old that I am almost certain that I am the only one who is aware of its existence, and that if it were used the Old magic has been forbidden for so long that they knowledge it would reveal would be all but incomprehensible so I doubt that is any danger to you."

He paused before he continued, "I know there is a spell which is usually used to detect familiar bonds, however I know that only looks for and responds to the presence of a bonding of whatever form, rather than an actual familiar bond but as the knowledge of other bonds has been lost to the vast majority of wizards if faced with a positive response for a bond between a wizard and a magical animal a familiar bond is the only sensible conclusion so on that front you are safe."

"Onto the aspect of actually seeing the magic, very few have the gift and again I am likely to be the only one in that group who knows of the existence of other bonds, let alone being able to recognise it! So on that front you are also secure, and if you do encounter another with the gift and they recognise the bond they will know like I did that it would never allow you to hurt him."

"I cannot say whether magical creatures would be able to detect the bond for what it really is," Sirius grimaced at that, he knew full well that the bond could be recognised by magical beings, or at least goblins and house elves however Ollivander's next words removed a large portion of that worry. "But considering how our Ministry views non-human sentient species I don't hesitate to say that any creature who recognised this would not be believed or trusted by the Ministry so you are safe from that angle!"

Sirius let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. Most of this he had rationalised himself however it was comforting to hear it from another source, and he was relieved to hear Ollivander's verdict on the aspects he hadn't actually known himself. It meant that his plans for going to Hogwarts with Harry disguised as his familiar would work and he was unlikely to be discovered which made the whole situation a lot more hopeful because at least if he was at Hogwarts he'd be able to deal with the problems that might arise and for those he couldn't handle such as potions or spells he was in the middle of working on a protective amulet that would alert him to the presence of any potions in food and drink and he'd be taking the potions and materials necessary to nullify them if any were detected.

They chatted for a few more minutes but it wasn't very long before Sirius decided that they needed to go out into the Alley before the crowds could get too large. He fastened the collar round his neck but just before he transformed he turned to Ollivander, "Once I've transformed could you cast the animagus reversal spell on me please? I know the charm passed all the testing but still it is better to be safe."

Ollivander just nodded his agreement and a second later the large black grim took his godfather's place. Harry watched with baited breath as Mr Ollivander pointed his wand at his Pa and the silvery white of the animagus reversal spell shot out of it. He trusted his Pa with his life and he knew the man would not do anything to hurt him, and that including taking risks that could see him back in Azkaban but seeing the spell just flash white when it impacted with the black grim went a long way of dissolving his fears. His Pa's disguise was now perfectly safe.

Ollivander smiled in satisfaction as he saw the spell give off a negative reading. Sirius had told him all about the testing of course but it was satisfying nonetheless to see it working with his own eyes. He smiled when he saw the young boy relax, although he noted that the child never actually let go of the dog's fur. He had observed in all their interaction that the child was very attached to his godfather and he could easily see that the boy would be devastated if anything were to happen to him. He knew part of it had to be due to the bond, due to the way they had used and developed the emotion bond the two of them were connected in ways it was almost impossible for anyone else to understand but he also understood it went deeper than that. Sirius Black was the only father the child had ever known and he doted on him, and Ollivander could see that the child adored him in return.

With a wave of his wand he unlocked the door that connected to the main body of his shop, he hadn't wanted to take the chance that anyone had opened the door by accident when Sirius had still been in human form. Such an occurance would be more than dangerous and he was not going to let an innocent man be given over to the dementors. He was too aware of the Kiss on Sight order that had been given and he would not be the one to hand an innocent to such a terrible fate.

* * *

Harry looked around Diagon Alley in wonder. He hadn't really been paying much attention the last time he'd been here, he'd been far too frightened to look around, worried continually that his Pa was about to be recognised and taken away by the Ministry but now he knew that his Pa couldn't be recognised he couldn't stop staring.

It was a few days after Christmas and snow blanketed the ground and the window displays sparkled. It was completely different from anything he'd seen in the muggle world as strange signs creaked from rusty old poles, which sparkled as the sunlight caught the edges of the frost and the windows were filled with a blinding array of goods, all with their own magical properties and purposes. It was a brilliant, wonderful and strange world and yet he knew it was the world he belonged to and even though he didn't linger on the thought he also knew that there was darkness lurking in the shadows. In the deaths of his parents, in the fact it was Padfoot not his Pa that was accompanying him but these thoughts were pushed away as Padfoot began leading him gently in the direction of Eyelops Emporium.

They had come to Diagon Alley for two things, firstly an owl and a broomstick. An owl was something that could not be purchased by owl or perhaps strictly speaking house elf order as keeping an owl inconspicuously in a muggle town had been impossible and while Sirius knew he could have ordered a broomstick by owl order he wanted his godson to have the opportunity to look at the broomsticks before they ordered for one. Sirius knew that unlike an owl, it would be extremely difficult for Harry to purchase a broomstick without arousing suspicion.

They entered Eyelops and Harry's mouth fell open. Having been raised in the muggle world he had never seen an owl up close and suddenly he was faced with hundreds in close proximity to each other. There was not much he could do aside from stare. He knew he could chose one that would be used for both Sirius and him until his Pa got his freedom but he hadn't a clue where to start.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a cheerful voice behind him. "Need any help there sir?" Harry spun round and came face to face with the saleswoman. He swallowed hard as he wondered what to say, he'd never been put in this position and despite the fact he knew that she would not recognise his father he was still more than a little jumpy.

A sudden flood of reassurance and love flowed across the bond and cut through his worry like a knife, pushing it away. "Yes please," he answered politely, "I'm looking for a good post owl but I don't really know what to look for..." He trailed off, looking down at the floor in embarrassment but the witch just chuckled kindly.

"Not to worry, you aren't the first muggleborn I've seen that doesn't know what to look for in an owl. I'm guessing you want a way to keep in touch with your family when you go back to Hogwarts next term?" Harry just nodded, not bothering to alert her to their cover story. If the woman already had a ready-made cover in her head there was nothing for him to worry about, it would just make him that much more forgettable if she didn't think there was anything unusual about him.

His nod seemed to have been completely sufficient as she patiently talked him through the owls, explaining the different types and which ones would be best for what jobs and how easy they were to look after. It took nearly an hour but eventually he chose a beautiful snowy owl. She had explained that Snowy owls were the most intelligent type of owl and he also thought she was beautiful.

When he shyly pointed at her he felt Padfoot nudge his hand with his nose and he felt his Pa's approval race across the bond. It was with a beaming face that he bought her along with a wide variety of products that would help him care for her. He left the shop with one hand tangled in Padfoot's fur and with the other holding firmly onto the cage containing a large snowy owl.

They stopped off at the Quiddich shop of course. Harry spent nearly another hour staring at the brooms on display but it hadn't taken Sirius more than ten minutes to spot the broom he would be ordering for his child. While Harry had looked around the entire shop with great interest he had spent the majority of the time gazing longingly at the broomstick in the window.

But the crowds were beginning to swell and although Harry had mainly conquered his fear of being in a wizarding area with his Pa, large crowds were not something either of them were prepared to handle so with a last longing look at the broomstick Sirius gently led his child back to Ollivanders and a few minutes later they were spat out of the floo, closely followed by the new owl into Potter Manor.

* * *

Hi there, hope you all enjoyed it and for those who celebrate it, Happy Easter!

Thanks for all the support you have given this story and please review!


	22. Chapter 21

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 21**

Albus Dumbledore had been on tenterhooks for the last several days, there was no hard and fast rule when a Hogwarts letter would be written and then delivered, it would occur sometime in the region of two to three weeks before the child's birthday and as the end of July had slowly headed nearer Dumbledore had been carefully inspecting every letter Minerva sent up to him for approval before sending them out.

But so far not a single one had been Harry's and Dumbledore was getting nervous. He was almost sure that the child was still alive; his name was still written in the Hogwarts' list but he couldn't help the concern that rose up in him. It was getting close and the cut off day for acceptances was in just under two weeks and Harry's letter still hadn't gone out.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his office door. "Come in Minerva," he called out. His staff had not yet realised that he had a two way mirror in the back of his door and it never failed to irritate them. Sure enough his Deputy wore a faint frown as she entered and handed over a few envelopes. "That's the last of them Albus," she informed him briskly, "The quill has returned to the book to await next year's letters."

Dumbledore felt tension bubble up in his gut as he took the packet of letters but the years of playing a political role allowed him to keep his face free of tension and he managed to smile as he thanked his deputy and she turned to leave. Despite her harsh tongue and the scalding temper she possessed when one of her Gryffindors or someone she cared for was hurt or placed in danger he regarded her as a good friend and he knew she did an outstanding job as deputy.

As soon as she had left the room his attention turned to the letters, if Harry's wasn't here...He pushed the thought from his mind firmly. There was no good in dwelling in what ifs and maybe's and he did not need to start implementing plan B until he knew that the letter wasn't there or that Harry wasn't going to be attending Hogwarts. He flicked through the first four, noting absently the names and whether or not they were muggleborn and would require a Professor to deliver the letter.

He picked up the fifth letter and a sigh of relief escaped him. Written in glowing emerald green was the name Harry Potter.

Dumbledore's eyes drifted down to look for the address, if he could obtain it he would be able to summon Alastor and lead a team of Hitwizards there tonight and locate the boy, it was so simple he couldn't believe it had never occurred to him before now but he quickly noted that in place of an address the location of a French post box was prominently displayed.

He felt a stab of regret at the missed opportunity even as he felt a grudging admiration for the man's cleverness. A post box in the middle of nowhere would give out no clues to their location whilst still enabling them to receive mail, giving him the ability to order virtually anything in the wizarding world via owl. It also ensured that even if the post box managed to be traced they wouldn't be found and he guessed it was a simple matter to obtain another box.

And it didn't even indicate that they were in that country. Dumbledore suspected that Black used a house-elf to collect the mail, such a strategy would be almost impossible to counter. House-elves were notoriously tricky to work with or even to capture unless you caught them by surprise and once you had captured them, unless the elf was intensely disloyal to their master which only occurred rarely, getting information out of them was extremely difficult. He briefly entertained the idea of trying to capture one of Black's elves but he discarded it rapidly, judging from what he'd seen of them when he'd visited the manor he was certain they were very loyal and getting any decent information out of a loyal elf when their master was alive was harder than trying to get Cornelius to do anything without a bag of gold.

However placing a monitoring charm over the area seemed to be a good idea. There was very little chance that Black would actually visit that area however it wouldn't hurt to place a charm there and if he did Dumbledore didn't want to waste that opportunity. This was the only lead on Black he had and even though it was slight he had no intention of wasting it.

* * *

It was at breakfast that the letter arrived. Neither of them noticed it at first, the house-elves had done their usual efficient job of collecting the mail from the unmarked post box that still resided in a small corner of France, placing it on the counter of the kitchen, ready to be examined as soon as Harry and Sirius had finished breakfast. It didn't take long for the meal to be finished and Sirius had just finished the last of his coffee when he turned around to see his child standing stock still, his eyes fixed on something in his hands.

Instantly Sirius became concerned. Harry was always so lively, always curious and always moving so the fact he was standing frozen indicated something was seriously wrong. "Harry?" Sirius asked quietly, his hands reaching out to touch the child's shoulders in comfort, "What's the matter puppy?"

Even as he spoke the words he was reaching out across the bond, sending as much love as possible over it as well as absorbing Harry's emotions, trying to work out why his child was upset but the mixture of excitement, nervousness, fear and happiness he could feel confused him. Gently he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders, pulling him close as he glanced down, trying to ascertain what had caused such a mixed reaction in his child.

The bright emerald green of the Hogwarts ink winked up at him and he pushed down his own sudden rush of nerves. "Go ahead and open it Harry," he said softly, "It won't bite you," he added teasingly when Harry still didn't move. No matter the unease seeing the letter generated within him, Sirius was determined that Harry should be able to look forward to Hogwarts, receiving the letter was a defining moment in a young wizard's life and some of his best memories had occurred in his Hogwarts years. He knew it would be dangerous for Harry, and he was not letting his child go there without all the protection he could give him but he was determined to make sure that Harry enjoyed his time at Hogwarts.

Emerald eyes looked up at him, Harry's mingled apprehension and wonder obvious in their depths and the question they were asking was clear. "Open it puppy," Sirius told him quietly, wrapping the child in an embrace, "I know you're worried but the time I spent at Hogwarts was brilliant and I promise that I won't let anything hurt you, or take you from me."

Finally Harry's fingers moved and opened the envelope, taking the two pieces of parchment out. Neither of them had to look to know what they said, Harry had done so much magic there was no chance that he would not be accepted but still, seeing the words on the parchment had caused the excitement to rise up inside him, but as Harry read through the letter and equipment list a frown touched his face. "Pa, it says I can only take a cat, owl or a toad."

Sirius chuckled lightly, "The Professors don't like the students knowing all the little rules contained in the bylaws, so of course James, Remus and I spent as much time as possible finding them out." Harry grinned, he had heard many stories about the sort of trouble his Dad, Pa and Uncle Moony had got into at Hogwarts, and while he knew he wasn't a prankster in the same way they were, it didn't mean he didn't enjoy a prank now and again, provided nobody was hurt or routinely picked on.

Sirius returned the smile as he continued, "One of the pieces of information we unearthed was that while they have a pet rule they cannot prevent a student's familiar from accompanying them to the school as such a separation is dangerous for the child involved, particularly when the bond is new so to speak."

Understanding dawned in Harry's eyes, "So you're going to pretend that Bardulf is my familiar?" At Sirius's nod a delighted smile grew on the child's face but in the next instant the smile was wiped away and Sirius clearly felt the rush of fear that swept across the bond.

"But they'll catch you," Harry whispered, his fear plain in his voice.

Sirius hugged him closer, pressing a kiss onto his child's forehead, "Of course they won't puppy," he soothed, "Remember when we went to Diagon Alley and Ollivander tested the animagus reversal spell on me and it didn't work?" He waited until he saw his child's nod before he continued, "I've got a spell that prevents that from transforming me back so nobody will know that I am Sirius Black, I won't get caught and when they find the bond they will assume it is just the familiar bond."

Harry had slowly been relaxing as Sirius had been speaking, and now he turned up to face his Pa, a hopeful expression on his face.

"You really will be safe?"

"I promise I will be." Sirius waited for that to sink in before he spoke again, "And that isn't the only thing that we have to help us, Ollivander and I have come up with several devices that will keep us safe and I know from your lessons that you are more than capable of beating all the first, second and third years and holding your own in a duel with a fourth year. You will go to Hogwarts, have fun, learn magic and make friends and I will keep you safe."

Sirius let out an internal sigh of relief when he saw his child nod slowly, some of his earlier excitement beginning to glow once more on his features. He had meant every word he had said of course, and he would keep Harry safe even if it was the last thing he did but he couldn't help the disquiet that rose up in him at the thought of moving permanently back into the spotlight the Wizarding World would thrust Harry into.

Intellectually of course he knew that in the long run Harry would be in more danger if he didn't go to Hogwarts but that didn't stop all his instincts from screaming at him, or completely squash the part of him which wanted to haul his child into his arms and then to run so far that nobody would ever find them. He pushed that thought away, Harry understood the risks, knew what he couldn't talk about and what the cover story was, and there were many things that he had developed that would help keep both of them safe. He would make sure Harry knew how to work each and every one of them and he would be safe, but at the moment they had a letter to write and Harry was safe in his arms where he belonged.

* * *

McGonagall's eyebrows rose steadily as she read the newest acceptance letter, letting out a gasp as she took in precisely what it meant, and precisely which animal Hogwarts would be playing host to next September. She took a deep breath and read the letter again. Slowly.

Once she was certain she had absorbed all the pertinent information she sat back in her chair, a frown on her face. She knew she was going to have to tell Albus about this new development, familiars were tricky ground, they couldn't prevent any true familiar from coming because the long term separation could prove dangerous at best and fatal at worst but still, a grim was liable to cause panic, particularly among the Wizard raised.

They would cross that bridge when they came to it she told herself firmly as her eyes drifted down to the letter once more. What was more interesting than the animal however was the people who had sent the letter, Harry Potter and his guardian Patrick Evans. She had been waiting uncomfortably for the acceptance letter, she had had her reservations when they had left Harry with his relatives and despite Dumbledore's assurances she still hadn't been satisfied.

And with good reason, she thought, looking down at the names on the letter. Harry had obviously moved out of his Aunt's care into the hands of another relative, a cousin or similar she presumed judging by the fact she knew Lily hadn't had a brother and the surname of the man was Evans, and she knew enough about the muggle world to know that the only cause of a child moving custody was if the previous guardian had been found unsuitable, or perhaps they had simply given the infant to their cousin, unwilling to take care of the child. She snorted to herself, from what she had observed of those muggles she wouldn't put it past them to have done so.

Sighing to herself she stood. Harry's was the last letter to come in, with the exception of a muggleborn she was due to visit in two hours time, and she might as well notify Albus now. Certainly there were arrangements to be made surrounding the familiar, and seeing as the Headmaster had been the one to place the child with entirely the wrong muggles Minerva was going to enjoy placing all the paperwork to deal with bringing a familiar into the school squarely in Dumbledore's lap. It could in no way compensate for the mistake he had made and she would thoroughly chew him out over it later, but making him do the paperwork would at least make her feel a little better.

* * *

Dumbledore looked up in confusion as he heard someone knock, and he put the ministry paperwork to one side calling, "Come in Minerva," as he did so. Inside he was more than a little perplexed, he hadn't been expecting a meeting and there was nothing that should have gone so seriously wrong that she needed to come and see him. His eyes swept quickly over his Deputy, noting the parchment held in her hand and the glint in her eyes that automatically had him bracing for a shouting match.

"Is there something wrong Minerva?" He asked solicitily, and he wasn't prepared for the blaze of anger that swept his way as Minerva rounded on him, her Scottish brogue thickening as it always did when she was extremely upset.

"Ye left that puir defenceless bairn on that doorstep and ye didnae even think to check up on him and now I find he's got a new muggle guardian. I dread to think what that puir bairn dealt with in that house before he was moved. I told ye they were the worst type of muggles, I told ye Dumbledore, but did ye listen?" An indignant snort conveyed the depths of her displeasure and contempt more clearly than any words could have done and Dumbledore couldn't help but inwardly wince.

He hadn't really paused to consider what Petunia had revealed about Harry's living conditions when he had visited their home, he had been far too preoccupied with the problem that Harry had vanished and was almost certainly in the hands of Black but he couldn't deny that when the understanding of what Petunia had meant when she said cupboard had dawned he hadn't been able to help but be grateful to Black for removing Harry from that.

It hadn't lasted, overshadowed with the knowledge that whilst the child was being neglected, he hesitated to say abused but internally he couldn't deny that the situation had had some aspects of abuse to it, while he lived with his Aunt and Uncle the blood protection would keep him safe from Voldemort and he was almost certainly suffering far worse at the hands of his parent's betrayer. However he couldn't deny that when the blood wards had finally fallen, a couple of months after Harry had disappeared that inwardly he had been slightly relieved that Harry wouldn't have to go back and when he was found he could be placed with a well meaning light family that would ensure he was brought back to the light.

"I know I made mistakes Minerva, I had thought Petunia would be able to accept her nephew for her sister's sake and I am sorry for that. I am just pleased Harry found such a good and loving home." The older woman snorted again, not placated in the least by the apology.

"It's the bairn ye owe that apology to and if Patrick Evans hadna given him a home ye'd have more than I to answer to."

Dumbledore sighed, but didn't answer, knowing full well that his Deputy would only become more irate if he tried to defend himself again or apologise. He would be much better served just waiting until she calmed down and finished what she had to say. And he would have to wait until he was alone to process the name he had just been given as Harry's guardian.

McGonagall sucked in a deep breath and it was obvious that she was putting a great effort into controlling herself. "While I fully intend to discuss Harry's living arrangements with you again in great detail Albus," He winced at the sharp edge to her words and the clipped tone she was using, informing him that he would receive a second dressing down later, "I have a muggleborn I need to perform an introduction for and I have been notified that one of the first year's has a familiar that they will be bringing to us next year. I leave the matter entirely in your hands, however if I discover any discrepancies," The emphasis on the word was obvious and he had to suppress a second wince, "I will not hesitate to make my displeasure known."

With that parting shot she placed the letter squarely on his desk and turned to sweep out of the room in a gesture eerily similar to that of his Potion's Master, although both would deny they had anything in common. Just as she reached the door a thought came to Albus and he called after her, "Which student Minerva?"

The elder witch paused slightly on the threshold, turning backwards slightly, "Harry Potter," she replied before sweeping out of the room, letting the door bang shut behind her.

Dumbledore realised his mouth was open and quickly snapped it shut, his hands automatically reaching for the letter and his eyes devouring the contents before he could think about what he was doing. He read it through once then he read it again and it was only after the third reading that he placed the letter carefully on his desk and leaned back to process what he had learnt.

Harry Potter was bringing a familiar, and a grim at that. Of course he would test that it was a genuine familiar but he suspected it would be, Black wasn't an animagus and even if he was he had been an Auror and was familiar with the spell that would reveal the presence of familiar bonds. The fact the child's familiar was a Grim though was extremely intriguing. There had never been a recorded bonding between a grim and a human before; grims tended to be reclusive and they were hardly seen except as an omen of death but if he thought about it there was certainly some logic to the pairing – the boy who beat death now had death's companion as his familiar.

However the inclusion of the animal was going to pose a problem – particularly amongst the magically raised children and purebloods. The idea of the grim was so firmly rooted in their mythology and superstitions that the reactions to it were likely to be violent however he couldn't prevent the creature from coming, the consequences were far too severe for him to contemplate that.

He considered the idea of requesting it remained in the dorms but he discarded the idea after mulling over it for no more than a couple of minutes, confining what was in essence a large dog to such a small space was asking for trouble, if it was even possible. The powers that grims possessed were largely unknown but there was certainly evidence they didn't require normal means of travel so confining the creature could prove to be impossible and it would only serve to alienate the child which was something he could not afford to do.

He knew the child had been in Black's hands for the last several years, regardless of the muggle name on the letter and whilst he was thrilled the child was going to attend Hogwarts he knew he had a precious chance here and it would only take a few words or actions to muck up the child's trust and send him down the dark road. He hoped with all his being that the child was not already dark, perhaps nearly irretrievably but he couldn't see how the child couldn't be after so many years of being raised by his parent's betrayer.

However the muggle name on the letter presented an intriguing possibility, could Black have taken Harry and not told him of his history and his actions, and instead had posed as an uncle or cousin of Lily's and attempted to raise the child correctly? He hoped it was the case however he knew it was unlikely, what was far more likely was that the name was an attempt to throw those who asked Harry about his living situation off the scent as people would presume Patrick Evans was a relative of Lily's.

And he thought, it had certainly worked, particularly as the wizarding world was oblivious to Harry's kidnapping. Although the acceptance letter provided him with a quandary of what to do now, or more specifically when the first holiday came and Harry wanted to go home. He couldn't be allowed to return to Black, of that Albus was certain but the problem was how to achieve it without Black taking Harry back or without the child lashing out.

Finding a family to take the child in would be easy, Albus was certain a family like the Weasely's would take the boy in a heartbeat, Molly couldn't resist a child in need but the problem would come with preventing Black from taking the child back as it had been proved that he could get around the strongest wards without anyone having the faintest idea of how he did it. The other problem he could foresee was if Harry had been loved and cared for by Black, he would not wish to trade that family for another, and it would make any attempts of convincing the child of his guilt that much harder, especially when his history with the Dursleys was taken into account.

Dumbledore sighed. It was all well and good to deal with what ifs but he couldn't attempt to deal with the situation until he saw Harry, it would only be then that he would be able to determine an appropriate approach to take.

* * *

Harry stumbled out of Ollivander's floo, into his Pa's ready arms, a grimace adorning his face. He hated travelling by floo, not only was the spinning disorientating but he never seemed to land properly, or exit a floo without stumbling. "You'll get better with practice," Sirius assured him as he brushed the soot from Harry's robes, chuckling slightly at the hint of a pout on his child's features.

Harry made a face at him, but he couldn't hold any irritation at his Pa for long – it was hard to be irritated and stay irritated when he could always feel precisely how much his Pa loved and cared for him.

"Ready puppy?" Sirius asked quietly, casting a critical eye over the child, even as he examined Harry's emotions through the bond. He could feel the nervousness there, and the hint of fear that lurked just behind the excitement and determination but it was far better than the paralysing fear that Harry had shown when they had first come to Diagon. Slowly Harry was beginning to trust in the charms Sirius had cast, he was still wary of course, and he would always be wary particularly as he could easily feel Sirius's own wariness but he knew that provided nothing went wrong they would be safe, and today they were just shopping for school supplies – getting robes fitted and similar and slowly Harry would become accustomed to being around wizards and witches before he got to Hogwarts, along with the idea that Sirius would be safe when he did so.

Sirius smiled gently at his child, ruffling his hair with his free hand before transforming into Padfoot, checking to see that the anti-animagus revealing charm was attached firmly to his collar before nudging open the door with his nose and heading out into Ollivander's shop and the Alley beyond, with Harry's hand buried deep in his fur.

* * *

And here's the next chapter folks - I know I've had a few worries about whether this story is abandoned and it most certainly isn't, I've just been very busy and am currently in the middle of A Levels (NEWTS) as those who read my other story know and as a consequence don't expect an update for a month.

But anyway - hope you enjoyed it a please review!


	23. Chapter 22

AN Disclaimer Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling I own nothing. This is fanfiction, I make no money out of this whatsoever. Now that's out of the way...

**Chapter 22**

Harry fidgeted as he stood by the fireplace, his fingers fiddling with the medallion at his throat as he waited for his Pa to finish giving his instructions to the elves before they left for the Hogwarts Express. The medallion was one of several unique protective items he was wearing somewhere on his person, but it was the easiest for him to fiddle with. When his Hogwarts' letter had come his Pa had told him that Ollivander and himself had created several items that would help to protect him when he went to Hogwarts but he hadn't quite understood how many different things he had that would help to keep him safe, even though his Pa was also coming to look after him and protect him.

He had been worried about his Pa coming with him, he knew that Pa had escaped jail and there were people who were looking for him who would kill him if they found him but nobody knew about his animagus form, and Harry had seen the charm he had come up with that would prevent anyone from changing him back. They had been to Diagon Alley a few times after he had received his letter and when each of those visits had passed uneventfully he had relaxed. He was still worried about it, and frightened but he knew that as long as he didn't make any mistakes his Pa would be fine and it also relieved him to know that his Pa would be there, that he would not have to leave him behind.

Harry smiled as he felt a wave of love flow down the bond, wrapping around him and cocooning him in its warmth. It was the best thing about the bond, his Pa always knew when he was upset, sad or anxious and the feeling of his Pa's love wrapping around him was without a doubt the best feeling in the world. Without thinking about it he sent his own wave of gratitude and love back, using the bond had become more and more natural the longer he had spent with Sirius, and although he could remember a time when there wasn't the constant presence of the bond and the emotions behind it, those memories always felt like there was something missing.

His fingers brushed against parchment in his pocket, distracting him as he pulled it out and looked at it. He was confused for a second before he remembered that this was his own special version of the Marauder's map that Pa had made from him. While it still had some features of the original, such as an entry password and the fact it showed every person in the castle Sirius had also updated it to include several special features which included safe areas and escape routes. If he got into trouble when he had the map, and he had some warning he could request an escape route and the map would automatically lead him to one of the safe areas, avoiding other people and making use of the secret passages.

It was one of the things his Pa had created to keep him safe, and his fingers went to the medallion again. While Sirius hadn't managed to create a portkey capable of punching through the Hogwarts wards the medallion got around that problem. As well as being enchanted with a few low level protection charms, the sort of things that would dispel ordinary compulsion charms, loyalty potions, love potions and similar spells and concoctions, it was also connected to the medallions that every one of the elves at the manor had been issued with. All it needed was a voice activation, the command 'heill', an old norse word meaning safe which had been chosen as it wouldn't come up in normal conversation, and two elves would instantly leave what they were doing and pop Harry and Sirius back to the manor.

It was almost certainly better than a Portkey his Pa had told him, seeing as the vast majority of wizards ignored their house-elves and because of that they didn't bother to ward against them, especially many wizards believed themselves to be superior, whereas the majority of the wizarding buildings had anti-portkey wards. And that was just stupid, Harry thought, the house-elves were brilliant. He could happily play for hours in the barn with Kitzy and he had discovered they were great to talk to, or they would be willing conspirators on the odd occasion that he felt like playing a prank on his Pa.

He had two – well three if he counted the two heir rings separately, more items that were designed to keep him safe. The Black Heir ring protected his mind, making sure his Occlumency was secure. Harry grimaced whenever he thought about Occlumency, his Pa had been teaching it to him for nearly five years now and he still couldn't achieve more than a weak shield that wouldn't stand up to any sort of assault for very long. He was doing everything his Pa said but he still couldn't make it stronger making him very glad to have the ring, he didn't want to lose his Pa just because he couldn't protect his mind.

The Potter Ring on the other hand didn't protect him directly, instead it was imbued with healing magic that would boost his natural healing processes, ensuring that any injury he got would heal faster, and that poisons and offensive potions would take longer to work, giving him more precious seconds and minutes with which to get the antidote. It wouldn't do too much against fatal injuries or things like werewolf bites but it would slow the time it took for such a wound to kill him, again giving him extra minutes where it would be possible to save him.

The final item he had was also a ring, purely because it would be the easiest thing to wear seeing as he already had a medallion. In terms of purely physical protection it was the most powerful as it was a shield charm that would protect him from all minor and some of the moderate hexes and jinks. Of course it wouldn't do much against any of the really dark curses or powerful duelling spells but it's presence on his finger still reassured him, after all he wasn't going to face unforgivables at Hogwarts.

A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts and Harry turned to his Pa. "Ready puppy?" The man asked gently. Harry bit his lip and impulsively reached out for a hug, to be gathered up instantly, the soothing presence of his Pa's love and concern calming him slightly. "I'm nervous," he admitted quietly and he felt Sirius hold him a little bit tighter.

"Of course you are puppy," he replied softly, "Everyone is nervous when they first go to Hogwarts, goodness knows I was and I couldn't have been more eager to get away from my parents."

"It's not just that," Harry said quietly, "I know you're coming as Bardulf and that you'll be there but I won't be able to speak to you or have hugs or ..." his voice trailed off and he felt his Pa press a kiss to his forehead.

"I know I'm going to be in my animagus form for the majority of the time but that doesn't mean that I can't be there for you, and even if I can't answer you with words there's still the bond."

"I suppose so..." Harry agreed a little reluctantly but Sirius hadn't finished speaking,

"And there are the safe areas. I can't transform often but if there is something really urgent or you need me to be human we can go to one of those places and I can transform safely. The Come and Go Room in particular is very safe as we can ask the room not to let anyone else in when we are in it and it won't appear for anyone, even if they are looking for it."

Harry relaxed at the assurance, suddenly feeling a lot better. He was still extremely nervous about going to Hogwarts of course but it was better now. Sirius could feel the precise moment when his child calmed down sufficiently and he stepped back, releasing the child from his embrace. "We'd better head off, Ollivander has been extremely kind to volunteer to see us off from the station and we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded before grabbing a handful of floo powder and stepping into the emerald flames, Sirius following behind with Harry's trunk and Hedwig.

* * *

Harry grimaced as he fell out of the fireplace, soot in his mouth. Despite the practice he had done at the manor he loathed floo travel and he still managed to land on his face every time he tried that mode of transport. A gnarled hand helped him up with surprising strength, just in the nick of time as Sirius stepped gracefully out of the fireplace, into the place Harry had been lying merely seconds before.

"Thank you Garrick," Harry said quietly and a little self-consciously. They had travelled to Diagon Alley several times over the summer, always flooing to Mr Ollivander's shop as the old wandmaker and his Pa had struck up a somewhat peculiar friendship since the first fraught meeting when Harry had come to buy his wand and their secrets had been discovered. Although it had been a slow process Harry had relaxed around the man, knowing that he would not hurt or betray them, however he had still been caught off guard when the man had told him, quite firmly too, to call him by his given name.

"Thank you for agreeing to do this Garrick," Sirius said gratefully as he checked that all Harry's luggage had made it safely through the floo system, but the old wandmaker waved his words away.

"Don't worry about it Sirius, it's the least I could do." He sent a grin at Harry, "Every boy needs someone to show him off onto the Express and I'm perfectly happy to help out there, it's something any friend would do, not to mention that I get the pleasure of sticking my proverbial nose up at the idiots who run our society, even if they don't know I'm doing so."

That comment won a laugh from both Sirius and Harry, there was little love for the Ministry in their family, not only because of what they had done to Sirius but also for the fact that they had made this hiding necessary and both of them enjoyed seeing the Ministry suffer.

Ollivander turned so he was facing the mirror, his brow furrowed as he carefully applied a glamour, subtly giving them privacy before Sirius had to turn into his animagus form for the foreseeable future. The instant Ollivander's back was turned Sirius opened his arms and Harry ran into them immediately, not caring what he looked like as he clung onto his father.

He knew that his Pa was still going to be with him as Bardulf and he was grateful for it but in some ways it wouldn't be the same as having the person there. While he still had the bond, the grim couldn't give him hugs, hold him when he had nightmares or simply to be there to murmur comfort when he was afraid or worried. Harry felt Sirius press a kiss to his head as the man held him tightly. "It will be alright puppy," he murmured, "And just because I am going as a grim doesn't mean that I won't be there for you, or that I can't be human if you need me to be."

Harry just nodded from the place where his head was buried against his Pa's chest. He felt the hug tighten for a moment and love rushed down the bond, before Sirius stepped back, love clear in his grey eyes before a large black grim took his place.

Harry took a deep breath even as he twisted his fingers securely into the dog's fur and he turned to look up at Mr Ollivander, the glamour making him appear like any young wizard father. The old wandmaker smiled at him, although Harry could detect hints of sadness and pity in the smile as the man picked up his trunk and Hedwig's cage. "Let's get you to the station," Ollivander said quietly, a hint of an emotion Harry couldn't quite identify in his voice, "There's only an hour until the Express goes and I wouldn't want you to miss it."

* * *

Harry couldn't help staring as he gazed at the Hogwart's Express for the first time. Like many other young boys who had grown up in the muggle world he had always enjoyed going on trains and had been fascinated by them but he had thought the only places proper steam trains still existed were in museums so to be confronted with a full life, full scale working steam train that he was going to ride meant he couldn't help but stare.

"It is real right?" He asked before he could think about what he had actually said and he heard Ollivander chuckle. Instantly he felt his cheeks heat,

"It is real," the man reassured him, "And I dare say that you aren't the first to have that reaction." Harry just looked away a little shyly, he might feel reasonably comfortable around Ollivander, and he knew that the man wasn't about to betray them but still he couldn't help be a little wary. His Pa was the only adult he trusted fully and he had no doubt that it would remain that way for a while.

He felt the cold nudge of a wet nose against his leg and he looked down to come face to face with his Pa's grey eyes. A smile tugged at his lips as he buried his hand deeper in the grim's fur, secure in the knowledge that his Pa was with him.

A muted gasp caused his head to snap up as his eyes searched for the sound. It was then he realised that several witches and wizards were giving them a large berth, fearful eyes fixed on the grim beside him and his Pa's warning about the reaction his animagus form would prompt in people rose in his mind. He bit his lip and glanced up at Ollivander who was surveying the surrounding crowds with something akin to amusement.

"Idiots," he thought he heard the man mutter before Ollivander turned to him, "Let's get you on the Express then, and don't forget to send me the odd letter now and then. I have to say I'm looking forward to hearing about the knots you tie those overbearing fools into."

Harry's lips twitched at that sentence and he felt the rumble of Sirius's laughter beneath his fingers, he couldn't deny that after everything the ministry had put his Pa through that he would enjoy getting some revenge and pulling them down a peg or two provided it didn't endanger his Pa.

Soon his trunk was safely stowed away on the express and Harry turned to Mr Ollivander, tugging a little uncomfortably on the cap he was wearing to hide the trademark Potter messy hair. He knew the man was pretending to be his father showing him off onto the express but he felt extremely uncomfortable at the thought of anyone but Sirius in that role. He couldn't imagine anyone taking his Pa's place.

His emotions must have been showing on his face though because Ollivander just laid his hand on Harry's should, giving it a firm pat. "Enjoy yourself at Hogwarts," he instructed, "Make all three of them proud and when the idiots aren't looking give them hell for me."

Harry just nodded, not knowing what to say. He knew that the Ministry and Dumbledore deserved to have some sort of trouble caused, but he didn't want to do anything that might risk either him or his Pa. Well perhaps he could prank Dumbledore once or twice, just to get a little revenge – that wouldn't risk either of them so it ought to be safe.

His nod seemed to be answer enough as Ollivander gave him a light push in the direction of the train and Harry scrambled aboard, Sirius jumping up behind him before ducking into the empty compartment he had put his luggage in a moment before. He looked out of the window and waved to Ollivander, a lump rising in his throat as he watched the other children all being hugged and kissed by teary eyed parents. His Pa should have been able to be there to see him off, being able to hug him and say goodbye to him in public without being at risk and he felt jealousy stir in his gut, the type he hadn't felt since he had been rescued from his Aunt and Uncle's.

It wasn't fair. Why did his Pa have to hide, why did it have to be his Pa that was on the run from the Ministry. It might have been selfish but he wanted to have been standing on that platform being fussed over by his Pa. His jealousy spiked as he saw a boy jerk angrily away from his mother, saying something that Harry couldn't hear. That boy had precisely what Harry longed for and he was just throwing it aside like it didn't matter.

A furry head nudged his leg and distracted Harry looked down to come face to face with a pair of grey eyes as he felt the concern and love he had unconsciously been blocking from his thoughts come sweeping down the bond. His jealousy evaporated as he wrapped his arms round the dog and buried his face in its fur. His Pa might not have been able to show him off from the platform but he was here with him now and he'd be with him all year.

He stayed there until he felt the train jerk into motion beneath him as the high pitched whistle blew. Startled he looked up and a little reluctantly he unwound his arms from where he was clinging onto the grim's fur, although one hand still griped the dog's fur tightly. He settled himself on the seat, shifting until he was comfortable, his eyes gazing out of the window as London flashed by.

Harry felt rather than saw the black dog press up against his legs, the heavy weight of Sirius's tail comforting against his feet, and the warm furry body soothing his nerves even as his fingers twined deeper into the fur. It was becoming harder to feel anxious as the houses sped by, Harry could begin to feel the excitement rise up in him once more. He was going to Hogwarts, the place he had heard so many stories about and where he'd be able to make friends that he didn't have to hide his magic from and learn the magic that Sirius's hadn't been able to teach him. For the first time since he had left Potter Manor that morning Harry smiled and he felt his Pa's contentment and love flood across the bond in response to that happiness.

A knock on the door jolted him out of his thoughts and he glanced up to see a small, slightly chubby boy with light brown hair looking at him nervously.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked timidly.

Harry shook his head, "As long as you don't mind Bardulf you're welcome to." He replied, slightly wary of the reactions he had already seen when it came to Bardulf, but still wanting to be able to make friends.

An expression of relief crossed the boy's face and he hurried in dragging his trunk behind him, only to stop dead when he realised precisely what Bardulf was. "I-i-i-is that a grim?" He stuttered, his face pale as he stared at the dog.

Harry's eyes followed his, "He won't hurt you," he reassured the boy, wanting to be accepted even though the fear of the grim existed. "He's my familiar so even though he is a grim he isn't an omen of death." He paused then grinned at the shy boy, "Well, he's been with me for five years now and I'm not dead yet!"

The joke achieved what the reassurance couldn't and the smile he got in return was a little shaky but Harry smiled when he saw the boy push his trunk under the seat and settle across from him, even though it was plain to see that he was still wary of Sirius. "I promise he won't hurt or kill you." He repeated, "He's the best dog in the world, he's looked after me ever since he found me and he considers me to be his cub."

A thump of Sirius's tail emphasised the words and the boy relaxed as he saw Harry's complete ease around the grim, noting the way Sirius curled protectively around Harry's feet.

"He's called Bardulf right?" He asked quietly but Harry was pleased to see that most of the fear had left his face.

"Yeah that's right, and I'm Harry."

"Neville," the boy responded and the silence grew for a minute before Harry broke the silence,

"Are you a first year too?"

Neville nodded, "Yes, I didn't think I'd get in though, I didn't do much accidental magic."

Harry shrugged, "I don't think accidental magic matters much, everyone's different and if you've got magic you've got magic."

That won a smile out of Neville but it soon faded, "My family thought I was all-muggle for ages, they were so pleased I got in that Uncle Algie gave me a toad."

"I had a frog once when I was little, I made a whole enclosure for it and everything and I'd catch it and put it in there but it would always escape. I did that for a whole summer but it left in the autumn and never came back. But Bardulf found me that year so I didn't mind."

They both laughed and Neville reached into his pocket and pulled out a large green toad. "Trevor always tries to escape, and when he does it takes me ages to find him. I spent a whole week looking for him once, only to find him happily sitting in the mandrake bed in my greenhouse."

The conversation drifted to Herbology then and Harry quickly discovered that although he had been studying herbology for years with his Pa that Neville knew far more about plants than he did and it was obvious that Neville loved his greenhouse and spending time in there the same way Harry loved flying. The conversation flowed freely as Neville gradually overcame his shyness, the topic changing from Quiddich, and Neville's confession he'd never been allowed to fly to their families.

The story they had come up with was simple and not too far from the truth as they were both aware that Harry's identity wouldn't be able to remain secret for long, the muggle make up on his scar would keep people guessing until the sorting at the latest so they hadn't bothered to make up a convoluted story. Harry would tell people who asked that he had been raised by his Uncle Patrick who was his mother's cousin in the muggle world but he had been aware of magic as he had had all his parents old spell books and story books when growing up and his Uncle had been aware of magic and made sure Harry was aware of his heritage.

It was the basic truth, wrapped in enough lies to prevent anyone realising precisely who his Uncle Patrick really was, and the beauty of it was that the story was close enough to the truth that it would be very difficult for Harry to slip up, he could talk about both the magical and muggle worlds without it appearing suspicious and by sticking with as much truth as possible he wouldn't have to make up lies that would be too easy to get caught up in. To put it simply, he was safe provided he never stopped playing the role he had been playing since he was six.

The arrival of the Trolley broke the conversation off and Harry purchased a wide selection. Wizarding sweets and chocolate had always been a special treat when he was growing up due to the ban on magic in the house apart from in special areas and even over the last year it had been a treat and his Pa had given him 10 sickles for this precise purpose.

Neville's eyes widened as Harry tipped the load of sweets onto the bench, "Dig in," Harry said, a chocolate frog already in his hand. Neville looked at him for a moment, assessing, then once he was sure Harry had meant the offer he reached out and plucked a cauldron cake from the pile, thanking Harry as he did so. Harry just grinned back at him, happy that he had made his first friend in the wizarding world. He still wrote to his muggle friends of course but it was getting harder and he was beginning to feel like they didn't quite know what to write anymore.

Their feast was interrupted by a slightly timid knock on the compartment door. Both boys glanced up, Neville looking uncomfortable, his eyes straying to Harry, obviously asking him to take the lead. Harry shrugged, clambering to his feet, if they were knocking it wasn't about to be any bad he hoped. Nevertheless Sirius was instantly at his side before Harry pulled the compartment door open to come face to face with a bushy haired girl, obvious tear-tracks on her face.

"Would it be possible for me to sit in here please?" she asked quietly, "Some older boys told me I wasn't welcome in my compartment any longer." There was a slight catch in her voice when she continued, "I'm Hermione Granger and I'm a muggleborn, are you going to tell me I am not fit to learn magic as well?" Her chin came up defiantly with the last sentence and she stared at them, almost waiting for them to reject her.

Harry's face hardened slightly, and he could feel his Pa's anger over the bond, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened, and having been taught about the recent history of the wizarding world, and learning what his mother had faced he hated the pureblood bigotry, if it hadn't been there Voldemort wouldn't have risen and nobody would have died. Not to mention, he hated bullies after his experience with his cousin and whilst he wasn't the most outgoing of people, in fact he could be downright shy especially around adults, he wouldn't turn away someone in trouble.

"No, come in. I'm Harry and this is Neville. I'm guessing you've had an encounter with cavemen that think they're superior?" Her eyes widened at the description – one of his Pa's favourites when describing pureblood supremacists - then her mouth twitched in amusement.

"Are your parent's wizards then?"

They both nodded and Hermione's eyes became excited, "What's it like growing up in the wizarding world – it must be so different, I know people don't have a clue when I say that my parents are dentists!" She looked at them expectantly and Harry just turned to Neville,

"You'll have to ask Neville, I grew up in the muggle world, though I knew about magic." Hermione just nodded and turned to Neville, completely undeterred, to continue questioning him. The boy's face was a little overwhelmed but he was answering the questions as best he could before she fired off another one. As he watched, and occasionally chipped in a comment Harry couldn't help wondering if she ever paused for breath.

He was suddenly struck by the thought that this wasn't too different from his old primary school. The only difference was that he was learning magic instead of French and maths, and he would be able to make friends here just as easily as he had done in France.

The next visitors to the compartment weren't nearly as welcome. "Oh look it's the mudblood, squib and another mudblood." Harry glanced up to see a blonde boy, accompanied by two larger boys that resembled nothing more than hired muscle force their way into the compartment. His eyes narrowed and his reached for his wand, he was completely aware just how vile an insult that word was and he could feel his Pa's anger and protectiveness bleed across the bond. He wasn't normally one to pick fights but he wouldn't stand to see someone hurt another person, particularly when that person was defenceless and he knew martial arts and defensive spells.

"Leave us alone." He said quietly. The blonde boy just sneered at him,

"Don't talk that way to your betters mudblood. I'm Draco Malfoy and no mudblood can tell me what to do."

"This is your last warning, get out of this compartment before I hurt you."

"With what?" The boy mocked, "The wand that you haven't been taught how to use yet? No mere mudblood could take me down." Harry paused for a moment, wondering whether it would be better to use one of the spells his Pa had taught him or if he should humiliate him by using karate to get rid of them.

But before he could move a low growling caught his attention and he glanced down to see the boys staring at Bardulf in horror, their faces white and their eyes wide with fear. "A g-g-g-grim," Malfoy managed to stutter out, pointing at the large black dog in terror and Harry suddenly grinned.

"Oh Draco, meet my familiar Bardulf."

Pale silver eyes met his green ones incredulously before the boy turned and quickly left the compartment, his goons trailing after them.

Harry sat down abruptly, the adrenaline that had surged through him during the confrontation vanishing swiftly. His Pa had been right, practice duels were completely different situations from when you were actually in a confrontation, even though no spells were actually cast. A detached part of his brain was aware of the comforting presence of a large dog pressing against his legs, even as his hand automatically buried itself in the grim's fur but the greater part of his brain was focussed on the fact that he hadn't got to Hogwarts yet and he already had an enemy.

* * *

Hi all - hope you enjoyed the update and just to clear up any confusion Padfoot is being called Bardulf as Padfoot is too risky a name - it is explained in an earlier chapter but here's a reminder anyway.

Thanks for all the reviews, please continue to review and I'll see you soon.


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